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Horatio 'H' Caine stalked down a darkened street, gazing at the graffiti decorating the brick walls as he passed it. A plain white tee tucked into faded black jeans, a pair of old black tennis shoes, and a used black joggers jacket with hood were the clothes he wore tonight.

It didn't matter how he dressed though, and didn't matter where he went he always managed to stand out with his full head of carrot-top, sherbet and slightly wavy hair with dark and troubled blue eyes and pale skin.
Tonight he was on a haunting, one of the least likely places he'd be found unless on a case. Months ago a case had gone cold. They all knew who done it, but as much as they milked the evidence it simply would not play the fat lady and sing for them. So the murderer had walked.

Horatio had promised the man he would make his life a living hell until they found their evidence, or until he got his confession. Tonight was a night Horatio felt like spooking. The killer was goth, and a frequent at the club Horatio now found himself entering.

From her position behind the microphone onstage, Anya watched the stranger enter the club. It was hard not to, seeing that he was wearing street clothes instead of the black leathers, wine velvets, and liberal laces that were favored. And his attitude was just different from most of the bar. He had to be a cop, or a detective, or someone who was going to find out quickly that he was in way over his head.

She was so deep in contemplation that she almost missed her cue to resume singing when the bridge ended. Covering her vocal misstep well, she resumed her ode to darkness, her sultry voice caressing every note. But she kept an eye on the red headed stranger, her curiosity piqued. This was the last song of her set, and she'd be able to indulge in that curiosity shortly.

It was crowded and the lighting wasn't the best. He found himself quickly looking away, scanning the crowds for some one familiar. Knowing that even if he never found his man (would he even recognize him?!), he had probably already been spotted by him.

Sticking to the walls he avoided eye contact but could easily see and recall faces as he slipped along to a darker portion of the floor. A sudden shadow, of many, bumped up against him with purpose and he turned to meet a cold and daring set of ambers glaring into his blues.

"Hey Phil," his lips smiled but his eyes did not. He met the gaze dead-on and waited patiently just as he had done countless times on the case.

Finally, shifting his weight and leaning with one hand against the wall, the other on his hip: "Something you want to tell me?" Each word precisely executed, as though Phil was daft.

With a grunt Phil turned away and disapeared once more. Horatio made sure to keep him within sight, knowing Phil was once a bully and even as an adult had often encouraged his cronies to come to his defense with dire outcomes.

Her song finished, Anya sauntered offstage and wove through the dancer on the floor over to the bar. Ordering her customary post-set glass of red wine, she turned to observe the crowd. The red headed man was challenging a regular, one she had seen many times. One that gave her a bad feeling. And to give Anya a bad feeling was something that took a lot. Phil was unstable and unpredictable, and with the unknown of the cop, even more dangerous.

Feeling that she should probably do something before a fight broke out, Anya turned to the bartender. The vampire owner didn't appreciate violence on his establishment, given that it was neutral ground for the various vampire clans. She wasn't a vampire, and usually vampires wouldn't consider most shapeshifters a friend, but Bubasti were a noted exception. That and she was a good draw for business. "Rick, send the mundane over there a glass of wine with my compliments." Watching the bartender nod and go off to do her bidding, Anya sat back on the stool and waited to see what happened.

It had clearly been enough to upset Phil, but so far he wasn't making any moves. Still, Horatio figured it enough for tonight and made a note to catch him alone, after work or at home... "From the singer," a voice and glass of wine interrupted his thoughts and vision as the bartender siddled up to him. A gesture told him where to look for the singer as he took the glass.

He suspected, his line of work always made him careful. And now he was wondering if this was Phil's doing. Slip him a mickey from a pretty female? Still... he was sure she had been staring at him from on stage. He made his way over without yet touching his lips to the glass, some conversation might ease the wine onto his tongue.

He sat next to Anya, the glass on the bar as he looked her up and down. "Guy like me doesn't come here often, much less get a drink from a woman like you." He waited.

"Tell, me about it," Anya said. She eyed the cop up and down as she took a slow sip from her glass, assessing him. Not Kindred, not Mage, and not of any of the Changing Breeds. Pity he was dressed as such a straight arrow. It could have been nice to have some fun with him. "I'm just going to offer you a bit of advice. Be careful who you upset in here. Some of the patrons have a mean streak, and the owner doesn't take kindly to people who pick fights. No matter how well they are deserved."

"Not here to pick fights. Just to remind some one I'm still alive and kicking and haven't forgotten him. I've seen the mean streak of that some one. I know it all too well."

He picked up his glass and drew a fast drink. She was eyeing him as much, if not more, that he was looking her over. His mouth drew a silent 'mmm'.

"You have plans for the rest of the night?" He was never one to hesitate, no matter what it was. His instincts didn't only speak to him when on a case.

"You're looking at them," she said, gesturing with the half empty glass. "That was my last set." She had the distinct feeling that she was being propositioned, which was mildly surprising. It wasn't unusual for patrons to try to gain access attention or to her bedroom. But she hadn't expected it to be the cop.

"So what exactly do you have in mind?" she asked. It could be interesting to see how he reacted if she did say yes. Some people made their moves and then quickly backed down when they realized they were quickly getting in over their heads.

He wasn't sure what he had in mind exactly, just to see where things went though he knew where he hoped they ended up. That was her last set. "You and me," he said bluntly, then leaned toward her while leaning on the bar so his voice wouldn't be overheard or carry where he didn't want it to.

"Some drinks and some place quiet, alone. Whatever you want." His eyes were dead serious, with perhaps a touch of a challenge in the dark blues. He stayed leaning on the bar, unblinking as he waited for her answer.
Anya chuckled softly. "It's been a while since anyone has been so direct with me," she said with an amused grin. She looked him up and down one last time, coming to a decision. No matter how it turned out, this evening would be entertaining.

"Before I tell you where we're going," she said, running a black painted manicured nail around the rim of her glass. "I'll need to know your name. So I'll know what to scream out."

"Horatio," he straightened up with a slight smirk. Tonight was going to prove far more interesting than he had planned. Finishing his glass with another drink.

"And your name? I can't promise any screaming though you look like you can make me if you really want to. And I think you really want to."

Anya gave him a wicked smile. "Trust me Horatio," she said, tasting his name like the fine wine she was drinking. "Anya Z can make you scream in many ways." Not all of them would be the way he wanted though. Her other forms had that affect on people.

"My apartment is about a five minute's walk from here. So if you're done harassing the regulars..." she trailed off with an arched eyebrow.

"For tonight, Anya," he agreed with a smile and was already wondering in what many way she would make him scream. He was going to be a sore and exhausted investigator when he returned to work in a few days. But it was always worth it.

Standing he offered her his hand. He had many sides, the one that was most often present was his loyal, doting, right-side-of-the-law protective gentlemen. And despite what they were off to explore, he saw no reason that part of him should quit. His many sides got along fine.

Anya arched an eyebrow in surprise, but accepted his hand as she stood up. With a wave to the bartender, she started to lead him out of the club. She ignored some of the smirks and surprised looks from the club regulars.

Once outside in the velvet night's air, she turned to look at Horatio. "So," Anya said with that speculative gleam back in her eye. "Are you willing to walk or do you want to drive?" She normally walked, having no fear of the streets after dark. She hadn't been attacked yet, and woe be to the first person who tried.

"We'll walk," he hadn't driven any where near this place, but had taken a very long detour from his usual jogging route. The night didn't bother him, and he hardley saw his team of investigators huddled over his body trying to solve HIS case.

He turned his dark blues towards her and licked his lips. A five minute walk could be fairly long, he wondered, already feeling sensations beginning to stir.

He pulled her closer, releasing her hand to wrap it about her abdomen as they walked hip to hip now. "Unless you think of something better than walking."

This man was bold, and she liked that. She didn't resist as he pulled her a little closer. "Walking will be fine for the moment." Although it couldn't be said that she walked. She sauntered with a fluid movement and a gracefulness that was reminiscent of a feline.

It would be a few minutes walk to her place, and Anya was curious. "So why were you harassing one of the regulars? What did he do?" That was the only reason that she could think of Horatio being in the bar. She always liked to get information. You never knew when what tidbit could prove useful.

Horatio considered her question for a few steps in silence. He shouldn't reveal too much simply because he should not discuss cases outside of the CSI teams.

He noted the fluidity of her movements as they walked, pressed to one another. Though not exactly graceful, he walked with purpose and destination.

"His case went cold. With a bit more encouragement it won't be so cold any more." Was all he said, leaving it up to her to figure it out. Though it revealed more about him than he had cared to, it was simple enough.

Anya shook her head, the pale moonlight glimmering on the chain connecting the ring on her nostril to her ear. "Secrets have a way of being found out," she said. "Especially in the face of one so persistent."

She turned and guided him up a set of stairs and into an apartment building. And then it was up three flights of stairs to her apartment. She opened a nondescript door with the number 313 on it. "After you," she said.
Inside was a room done in creams and accented with dark woods, giving it an Egyptian flair. Small statuary of Bast, Anubis, and Horus decorated shelves, peeking out between dark leather bound volumes. Her library wasn't as large as many Bubasti's, but she argued quality over quantity. And overwatching it all was a print of a section of the Book of the Dead.

"So, Horatio," she said in a silky voice. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

The room was a bit of a shock, though pleasant nonetheless. Horatio had an eye for art and easily admired the Egyptian decor. Though he knew it was much more than decor to Anya.

"Whatever you'll have is fine," he said, running a finger tip along the Anubis' ear before turning to join her, a hand along the small of her back.

He wasn't particularly thirsty, though it would be an enhancement in the swift dance they were stepping to. The hand along her back for this moment was as far as he'd go. He rarely forgot his manners in such a dance, despite where it was leading.

Anya, still wearing a mysterious smile, moved to the kitchen. "I hope beer is okay," she said, pulling out two glasses and two cans. She poured them and then sauntered back over to where Horatio was standing. "They claim that they're basing it off of an ancient Egyptian recipe, but I have my doubts. Cheers," she said as she clinked her glass with his.

"May I ask you something, Horatio?" she said, looking at him over the edge of her glass. "You don't seem the type to just pick someone up in a bar, let alone a goth bar. Or have I read you wrong?"

Horatio took a pull from the glass, giving it an appreciating glance before looking up at her. His gaze was always determined, calculating and he rarely moved his eyes from here to there too fast. "No. You got it right."

With a slight raising of his brows he glanced back to the Anubis. "I don't have time for bars unless there's a body involved. And let's just say work has kept me from the picking-up part." Though he had a woman here and there, they always seemed few and far between and not what he was looking for.

His work life and love life where not things he looked to go hand in hand. He wanted very different things for his love life than the work life offered.

"What else do you see about me?" he asked with a slight tilt to his head, placing a hand on the wall behind her and setting aside his glass to place that hand on his cocked hip as he stood face to face with her.

Her cool appraising glance slid up and down his body once more. "I see a man who is dedicated to his work. But one who leads a lonely life." Anya started to walk in circle around him. "A man who needs to let go and throw caution to the wind."

Completing her slow circuit around him, Anya stopped in front of him. Her green eyes seemed to speak volumes even though she said only a few words. One hand came up to rest on each shoulder. "And I am the person who can give that to you. If you trust me."

Horatio lowered his chin but held her gaze, considering her words. "I don't have reason to trust you, but I did start this for a reason." Lieing to himself, he really had no idea why he had decided to start this part of his life up again.

He had settled into work, and though it wasn't 'routine', perhaps he finally felt comfortable enough with it to allow his life away from it to grow again.

"Let's see if you can gain my trust," he raised his chin at that, as if a challenge.

Anya's eyes narrowed as she smiled in amusement. Little did he know that few people trusted her, and wisely so. She held her secrets, was prided for her discretion, but people usually found her somewhat offsetting. Perhaps it was part of her Bubasti heritage. Perhaps it had to do with her tattoo and her piercings.

Her hands came up to rest on his chest. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" she said. "I can read it in the way you carry yourself." Her hands moved slowly up and down, caressing his muscles. She placed her lips near his ear. "Relax. I'll take care of you."

"Too long," he said lowly, turning his head slightly to look at her. He wasn't sure he could relax, she was seeing straight through him. And the walls he had built around himself he had not even felt until now, not truly.
His attitude... even the way he spoke. It came rushing into his mind with sudden jolts. He hadn't been this way a few years ago and he wondered what exactly had put those walls there between him and the people he wanted most. The wall was preventing him from most of the actions his heart told him it yearned after.

It was time to at least try. Her promises were too much for him to not. Her breath and words so close to his ear made him want to shiver, another thing he realized he was successfully hiding from himself and her, as if he was paralyzed.

Placing a hand over hers he felt his heart pulsing, something not so easily hidden. "Say it again," he whispered, obeying his heart with hesitant steps as his eyes lowered to her lips.

Anya turned her head so she could blow against his ear lightly. "Relax," she whispered again. "I'll take care of you." Her thumbs slipped around so she could rub them against his hands.

She leaned a bit closer, inhaling his scent. He smelled innocent compared to many of the others she dealt with. And he was - he was human. She had worked so long in the underside of the club scene, dealt with vampires and Bastet and other creatures of the night, she had forgotten the simple pleasures of being with a human.

Standing up on her tiptoes, she lightly brushed her lips across his, waiting to see his reaction.

Horatio released a slight sigh as she inhaled his scent. It had been too long since he'd heard the faint sound of a woman do that around him.

He felt tense muscles shift as her lips brushed his, looking down into her dark greens. Bringing a hand up between her shoulder blades, fingers curling slightly as they met and tangled in her silky hair before pressing. He parted his lips, his kiss gentle at first, seeking and unsure.

A good eight inches taller than her he bent lower for her, feeling the flesh-warmed metal of her piercings grazing against his cheek and jaw.

He tasted almost innocent. Although it seemed that he knew what he was doing, he was just out of practice. Anya let her lips part, encouraging him onwards. She was more than willing to let him have control for the moment.

Letting her hands slip around to his chest, she started to run her hands up and down his chest, learning his muscles. Anya smiled into the kiss and then pulled back slightly. "Shall we move this to the bedroom?" she asked.

A slight spark to his dark eyes, perhaps like a flame trying to emerge from ash, told her all she needed to know in answer. Stooping slightly he lifted her from behind her legs, both hands holding her straddling his hips beneath her thighs.

"Lead the way," he said, anticipation and the first real hint of yearning in his voice. He didn't wait for directions, finding the door next to the kitchenette. The decor similar to the room he had just left, all of the eyes in the room... he shook the thought fast.

Setting her on the bed he kneeled half way to the floor as if in worship, drawing her lips down with his in a seeking kiss. His hands resting on her thighs rubbed upward.

While in his arms Anya squirmed against his torso, liking what she was feeling her legs wrapped around. This human was a mystery - one moment bold and forward, the next shy and hesitant. It would take a long time to unravel the secrets of this one.

And it was time to start revealing one secret - namely what was hiding beneath those street clothes. Pushing the jogger's jacket off his shoulders, Anya traced her hands over his arms, learning the curves of his muscles, before she started to pull the plain white t-shirt over his head.

Aiding her to rid of his shirt Horatio let it drop to the floor beside him, revealing his lean and muscled upper torso. Seemingly without an ounce an fat his muscles were long and thin, not bulging but not scrawny. The result of often putting his own body to the limit with sheer stress, he barely kept his muscle mass where it was at times.

Feeling the material of the skin-fit catsuite beneath his palms Horatio ran his hands up her thighs to the inward curve of her abdomen sides and around to her back. Beneath her long strands of jet black he felt the end of the zipper and followed it up to the little zipper-flag.

Placing one knee on the bed next to her he half straddled her lap as he eased the zipper down her curving spine, his eyes on hers as he did so and finally revealing more and more desire within their depths.
Her hands were tracing down his body, following the curves of muscles. Anya did lean back so she could peel her arms out of the upper part of her suit. But teasingly, she kept the bodice tucked against her chest, leaving it for him to remove.

Then her nimble fingers went back to work. Teasingly, she stroked down his wiry muscles, lightly tickling him, and then went to work on unbuttoning his fly

Her tickling touch drew half held sighs from him, sounds he couldn't restrain. Bending close he inched the catsuite down above her breasts with his teeth, his hands learning the shape of her arms as she unzipped him.
Abandoning the suite to kiss along her flesh with tongue and teeth he reached up with one hand to peel the suite down to her lap in one slow motion. Kissing the valley between her breasts his helping hand cupped one, gently kneading the curve pressed in his palm.

Unzipped the pants still clung tightly around his hips, a bit too tightly in one area. Preoccupied, he left them for her to deal with.

"Mmmmmrrrrrmmmm..." Anya arched forward into his touch, feeling her nipple harden. One hand slipped up to guide his hand to his head and guide it over to her other nipple, squirming in impatience.

Her other hand continued to tug at his pants, pulling them down and out of the way. Then she got to work on his boxers, which Anya was pleased to see a sizable bulge in them. Teasingly, she ran her fingertip along the length of him.

Inhaling sharply as she ran her fingertip along his length his hips instinctively moved to her touch, following it with a short thrust. The surprised gasp and moan vibrated against her flesh where his mouth pressed.
His lips moved further south, blowing cool air across a nipple before taking it between his lips to run a moist tongue across it's hardened attention.

His hand did as obeyed, taking the nipple between thumb and index to roll, tug, twist, and pinch. He did this gently at first and then harder until pleasure came from the sharp pain.

Anya's purr became a constant rumble in the background. Her hips started a slow roll against his lap, her fingers lightly teasing over his length. The ache in her nipples was echoed by a throb in her pelvis.
Her fingers curved around his cock, slowly traveling up and down. She gently squeezed, measuring both length and girth and let out a pleased smile.

Releasing a sigh with a whispering "aaaah..." Horatio laid his head on her breast, feeling each touch and stroke of her hand along his length. The vibration of her purr caused a slight confusion. He knew the sound, given practice, was easy to make but it sounded so catlike and too unhuman.

Setting both feet on the floor once more his knees leaned into the side of the mattress. Much as he was enjoying her skillful hands he pushed her shoulder down to the bed with gentle pressure. Reaching down he lifted her hips to finish peeling off the catsuit.

His lips and tongue tasted every new inch of newly exposed flesh, his hands continue down past her legs as his mouth haulted a few inches below her navel to inhale her scent.

Anya gently ran her nails through his hair, her purr intensifying. Her other touch also shifted so her nails teasingly scratched him. He hadn't batted an eye at her piercings or her tattoos, which made her wonder exactly what he would bat an eye at.

She could think of one thing, and it might be fun to see if he could handle it.

"Horatio," she purred softly. "How well can you keep a secret?"

Blowing cool air on her pierced navel Horatio smiled. "Anya, my job is about keeping secrets... I do it too well." He took the piercing between his teeth, flicking his tongue over it and tugging gently.

Running hands up her thighs either side of him he rested his chin on her stomach. "You need to tell me something?"

"It's something you don't need to know, but I want you to..." She wasn't sure why she was going to show him this. "There is more to me than meets the eye." She gestured towards the statues of Bast, Sekhmet and Seti. "I am one of a rare and ancient breed. I am what is known as a Bastet Bubasti - a shapeshifter."

Eyes narrowed, she issued an ultimatum. "Do not hide the need to laugh, nor waste words trying to reason with my 'insanity.' If you wish to continue this, I will show you my true nature. Otherwise, dress and leave at once."

Horatio wasn't sure to make of it, but he wasn't one to laugh easily, and usually kept his inner thoughts private. Giving her a level gaze as he lifted his chin from her abdomen he studeied her face for a moment and thought of her words, the tone... there was nothing to suggest insanity, though she was clearly hiding something. He thought it a trick, a play on words perhaps and tilted his head at her.

"Show me," he said simply, without any hint of laughter or sarcasm. He didn't inch from his position but didn't restrain her in hers. His face wasn't skeptical, he had learned long ago how to hide his emotions from people he wasn't sure of.

He had the bravery of a lion and the curiosity of a cat, something Anya strongly approved. She pulled her legs from out from underneath him, needing plenty of room to shapshift. Staring at him she called upon the cat within.

It started with her ears. They grew pointed as the black of her tattoo became lost in fur appearing on her skin. Her body lengthened as her cheekbones became more pronounced and her chin shrank. Nails became claws as a long black tail appeared.

But she only paused a second there before continuing her transformation. Her body now began to shrink into something smaller, though still thin and angular. Although her breed was supposed to be of the extinct kyphurs, she looked more like a caracal with black fur. Where a woman had sat, now a thin black cat with wide green eyes and a chain connecting its nose and ear stared back unblinking.

At first Horatio wasn't sure what he was seeing. Then he thought it some magic trick, or hologram. But as her body began shrinking he felt a cold prickling along his arms and neck beneath the skin as his mind slowly reeled.

Taking in the cat with an unbelieving stare his eyes flashed left and right, expecting to see Anya standing in the corner and laughing or grinning at the trick she just performed. Then he registered the chain.

"Fuck!" He flung himself from the bed, back pedaling until something stopped him, painfully. He was panicing, his breathing was fast and eratic as he tried to push against whatever was behind him. "No! Fuck no!" He stumbled for the door, eyes never leaving the cat. "Anya?" As if calling for her to come in from outside and get rid of this... cat with her piercing.

Well, it was going better than she expected. He was still conscious and somewhat rational. With that in mind, Anya began to reverse the process, this time not pausing in the catwoman form. Slowly her body became human and her tattoo visible as her fur receded.

Now it was time to see what Horatio was made of. "Right here," she said, still sitting on the bed. It would be up to him to reach out, or to run away.

Still pressed up against the wall Horatio regarded her with suspicion, taking time to breath and slow his pounding heart. He was quietly berating himself. He never lost his cool unless it was to defend some one, and even then only if there was no other way. He wasn't supposed to get all jumpy over something strange... even as strange as this?

As if testing his legs he slowly and haultingly approached the bed. Even slower to sit on it and still slower to reach out and touch Anya's face and ears.

"A different... species." He said, remembering her words as his brows furrowed. "You weren't kidding." Eyeing her body up and down before adding: "Does it hurt?"

She smiled at him. Yes, bravery as well as curiosity. She had chosen wisely. Anya turned her head into his touch. "It does, but I'm used to it. My gift does have a cost, and pain is one of them." As was anything that resembled a normal life, but that was beside the point.

"There are those who would kill both of us, knowing that I've revealed myself and my kind to you," she said in a serious tone. Anya had seen it happen before. And there was still a twinge of worry that it would happen now.
Horatio regarded her with a sober expression, hand now lightly rubbing her ear and feeling her hair betweem his fore and thumb. "They don't need to know, Anya. I have no one to tell."

Seeing her body in a new light Horatios hand traveled from her neck to her torso, outlining each curve with new fascination. He wanted her now more than he had before, that growing desire was turning into a raging pit of unquenchable fire as his eyes caressed her body.

Leaning over her he placed his lips back to her flesh along the curve of her hip. In this position he appeared to be worshipping her, something he was quite aware of.

Her hand lightly stroked his head. It was rare that a human accept her without questioning, and something precious. Something that had been all too rare in her life.

Anya's eyes were half hooded as she watched Horatio kiss her flesh. She was tempted to make a joke about his reverential attitude, that just because cats were worshipped over two thousand years ago, didn't mean he had to today. But instead she patted the bed beside her. "Come up here," she urged.

Horatio, slowly feeling more comfortable, wasn't about to let the body before him go to waste. Still, he obeyed, in his own way. Moving up her body in a pain stakingly slow journey as he licked and nibbled along her stomach to her ribs, breasts, collar bone, and chin. All the while slowly rearranging his body to press against hers.

"Like this?" Before taking her lips in a brief kiss and then moving to her ear lobe.

"Something like that," Anya purred as she pressed him back against the mattress. She half rolled on top of him and stared down at him with her sparkling green eyes. She leaned down to kiss his lips lightly and then lick at the tip of his nose.

Her purr became even more pronounced as she nuzzled his cheek, pressing kisses and licks to his skin. She enjoyed the rasp of his way after five o'clock shadow against her skin and tongue. Licking and nipping, she started to work her way along his jaw and neck.

Horatio had never taken a bath quite like this, and it was much more pleasant than having a dog greet him after work. Her tongue was rough and while moist, quite dry and didn't leave a sticky residue. He soon found himself enjoying her tongue on his bare flesh as it left a tingling along his skin.

Lifting his head he exposed more of his neck for her, leaning up into the caresses. "Don't hesitate to use those teeth," it was a plea, he wanted to bleed for her.

Anya didn't let her surprise show at his request, although it wasn't one she was unfamiliar with. She hadn't just expected to hear it coming from someone who appeared so mundane. She knew that looks could be deceiving, but it was a lesson she had to relearn every so often.

As she reached his pectoral muscles, her open mouthed licks became sharp nips. Each love bite became progressively harder, until her teeth just barely drew blood, which she immediately lapped away. "Like that?" she asked with a sly grin.

With each love bite from her sharp teeth Horatio arched his spine with need, head lolling to the side as his fingers sought and gripped the sheets beneath them. As she drew blood and lapped at it he moaned, fingers digging into the bed. "Yes," a breathless, desirous whisper. "Just like that."

Looking down into her greens his growing lust from her love bites echoed in his dark blues. She had not expected he wanted it like this, he realized and reached out to her. "Anya, I'm not what ... I like it this way, and I like to give it this way."

As if in caress he reached and threaded fingers into her hair, only to tighten his grip and pull her head down and back to capture her lips in a kiss.

His statement had freed the animal need in her. She returned the kiss with a tender ferocity, nipping at his lips, making certain he felt the edge of her teeth. If that was what he wanted, Anya was more than willing to give it. As well as receive it. Her nails dug into his flesh as well, then drew down his shoulders in a scratching motion.

Pulling away from his mouth, she resumed her downward path, grooming him again. This time her bites were without hesitation and drew blood. They were only love bites as far as most Bastet would be concerned, but few humans she knew indulged in such.

Horatio sighed and moaned as she continued her southern journey, fingers tangling into her long silky strands in a petting motion above her neck. "Just like that," he moaned after a moment, eyes closing with bliss.
With each bite he grew that much more eager and hungry. Each lick upon the fresh blood made him gasp and moan, his fingers in her hair kneading her neck with encouragement.

Anya continued working her way down his body, first nuzzling, then biting, and finally licking each place she encountered. All his movements were encouraging her on, as well as the loud moans he was making.
As she reached his navel, she paused to worry the soft flesh just below it. She sank her teeth in and lightly shook her head back and forth, like a predator.

Gasping loudly Horatio's fingers dug into and pulled on the sheets, partially straining against their resistence and in the process flexing his abdomen and chest. A mumbled oath before he reached down and scratched Anya's ear. "Go lower," he begged, legs shifting their positions in eager wait.

He could still feel each sting of the little love bites decorating his chest and stomach, they tingled like goosebumps and smarted like paper cuts as he breathed heavily.

Releasing her hold on his stomach, Anya moved a little lower and to the left to tease at his hip. She bit down on the muscle hard then soothed it with her tongue, wanting to leave a mark to remind him always of this night. To mark him as hers.

She resumed the downward search, biting and licking her way to his inner thigh. His cries and groans and wiggling made her squirm in anticipation. Her hand scratched down his other thigh as she sank her teeth into him yet again.

Panting with restrain his legs flexed and spread, heels digging into the matress. His fist kneaded the handful of sheets it gripped. "Anya ple..." he gasped as her hand scratched down his thigh, cut off in mid plea.

Hips twitched in abondoned thrusts as he propped himself up on both elbos to witness her teeth in action with his own eyes. Now seeing, not only feeling each bite; it doubled the experience, made his head reel as he was reduced to sensations of pleasurable pains.

Reaching out he guided her hand that had scratched him; pressing her sharp nails into his flesh.

Anya dug her nails in stronger. He seemed to be enjoying this immensely. And so was she. It was rare to find a human who got so down right enthusiastic about being bitten and scratched. He was curious as to how far she could take this rough play. And she decided to find out.

Swiftly, she turned her head and ran her teeth the length of his erection with slight pressure, waiting to see his reaction.

A lancing, brief, white pain ran up the sensitive flesh and vein of his exposed and yearning erection. Vision and breathing were put on hold as his eyes closed and head flung back, breath was held, and knuckles took on another shade of white.

The pain was the kind to slowly dissipate, leaving a pleasant afterburning sensation along his length. Relaxing as the initial pain faded he released a held sighing moan, turning his eyes onto her as he panted and a small smile appeared.

Reaching out he gently rubbed her ear, a shiver coarsing him as his hand moved to her mouth and nudged her lip up to reveal the tips of her teeth.

Oh yes, he was definitely liking this if his touches were any indications. Carefully Anya repeated the motion, this time with her teeth perpendicular to his length, letting her lips drag behind. Meanwhile her nails had dug into his thighs.

She fell into a pattern that gave them both pleasure. Her fingers would dance back up as her mouth descended, and rake down him as she swallowed him again. All the while the low rumble of Anya's purr could be heard.

Panting, Horatio watched her for a moment, moans suppressed into sighing whimpers until he finally arched his spine back to the bed to close his eyes and just feel. The pattern was anything but predictable, though familiar... it was obviously new. Each time her teeth and nails were sent up and down his member there was new sensations.

Sometimes the pain was highlighted enough he could swear she was raking him a bit harder, other times the drag of her lips was what made him moan and reign in a thrash of a leg to a simple flexing.

And her purr. He kept forgetting that it was from her, the slight vibration along the back of her tongue reminded him as he writhed in an ecstasy he had never known before.

Anya continued to suck on him and purr, her nails raising fresh welts with every pass. But she kept him guessing what he would feel next, the velvet of the inside of her lips, the light rasp of her tongue, or the firm scratching pressure of her teeth.

Her own legs were squirming with her own need. Soon it would be his turn to take care of her. She just hoped he was up to the task.

The edge of so near and so far. Horatio felt his end building, so soon and it been so long since his last. He wanted it and began gently and slowly thrusting against her teeth, tongue, and lips. His pants became soft grunts as he reached for ecstasy.

Spine suddenly going ridged Horatio moaned her name aloud as he fed her his seed.

She sucked hard, realizing what was happening. Anya swallowed everything he had to give, her tongue still working against his sensitive flesh.

Smiling lazily, she pulled away from him and climbed up his body. Her movements were smooth and confident, a cat on the prowl for her prey. Grinning and giving every appearance of being pleased with herself, she settled on her side next to Horatio, resting a hand on his chest, waiting for him to come back to himself.
Breathing hard Horatio lay for a few minutes, just feeling. Feeling his heart rate slowly descend, feeling the continueing sensations of her love bites, feeling her next to him and her hand on his rising and falling chest.
"Anya," he breathed, his voice full of wonder and desire as he opened his eyes and turned his head towards her. Pressing his lips to hers he could already feel the early, weak twitching of a returning life.

Anya smirked at him, glancing down and seeing the slight movement. "I guess it is true. You can't keep a good man down," she quipped.

She moved her hand up and down his torso, stroking lightly, just barely letting her nails scratch against his skin. Anya stretched out against him. "So..." she drawled. "Enjoying yourself, Horatio?" She already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear him say it.

"More and more," Horatio breathed, a sighing moan. He lay his head against hers as his body continued it's recovery. "And we've just started," he gave a brief chuckle, abdomen rippling under her teasing scratches.
Shifting slightly so he could look at her Horatio studied her face a moment before wondering: "Why did you accept me, back in the bar?" It wasn't every day he hit on a cat-lady and got invited to her personal kitty quarters. And he had a sneaking suspicion there were others like her, the ones who might kill them both, others she knew and who disapproved of ones not like them.

Or maybe that was his inner profile trying to profile something he wasn't yet sure he was sure of.

Anya shrugged her shoulders. That was something she trying to figure out as well. One of her fingers traced through his hair as she thought. "I was in the mood for something a bit different. And with you in those normal clothes, that all American look, in the bar, well, that was different."

Her fingers moved down to stroke her nails lightly across his cheek. "I was also attracted to you. Believe it or not, it has been a long time since I've spent the night with anyone. Even longer since it's been anything even close to a long term relationship."

That caught Horatio off guard. Placing his hand over hers and pressing it to his cheek his dark eyes held a different shade, something lighter though not revealing. "It's been a long time for me too, a very long time." It seemed like ages. "And the loneliness only makes it seem longer."

Bringing her hand down he pressed his nose and lips to her fingers, inhaling her scent before gently peppering her knuckles with kisses. "I could do with something long term," he watched her closely. "Let us see what tomorrow brings."

Tattoo distorting slightly from her eyebrow raising, Anya looked at him, surprised as well. She hadn't really been thinking beyond a night's pleasure when she invited Horatio to her home. And most of the people she had brought home also thought the same way. "We'll see what happens tomorrow then," Anya said.

She leaned forward and carefully kissed his mouth, nipping his lower lip. He tasted delicious, and she was hungry for more. "So tell me, Horatio," she said with a lazy purr. "Do you give as good as you get?"

"Depends," Horatio offered a secretive smile as he nipped back at her upper lip. Rolling atop her he straddled her thighs as he bent his head to continue exploring her lips with his teeth and tongue. "Depends, Anya, on how much you're willing to get."

As he laid kisses on her one hand felt along her shoulder and upper arms, tracing muscles and straightening the elbo as he gripped her wrist and pinned it up over her head. His other hand connected her wrists together, the right hand now holding them both as the other came down to her body.

"I could ask you, 'how much do you want me to give, kitten?' but it wouldn't be very rewarding... I think we both want our surprises." Cupping her left breast he kneaded and pressed into it while his kiss pressed against hers, deep and thirsty.

He obviously didn't know about the superior strength of the Bastet. And Anya didn't inform him either. Instead she writhed and squirmed against him as he teased her, playing along. She kissed him just as hungrily, drinking in his scent and taste.

Still wiggling her hips beneath him, she lifted her leg and wrapped them around his waist. "I'd say I could handle whatever you can dish out." Her purr, which had only quieted and not stopped at any point, increased in volume. "So, surprise me."

"Yes," Horatio hmmed. "I bet you could. In fact, I know you can," she wasn't human after all. Reaching down he slid her leg off of him while he slid down her body, wiry muscles stretching until he was forced to release her wrists.

Hovering at her navel he kissed her there, tongue flicking in briefly until another kiss, slightly lower at the fine line of fur leading downward. His hand was before schedule, gently touching her slit, sliding up and down before barely parting the lips.

The catch of her breath in surprise interrupted Anya's purr. She lifted her head to stare down at the head cradled on her stomach and working its way loser. Her legs parted as she licked her lips in anticipation of his actions.

Now that her wrists were free, she reached down and caressed the top of his head, applying a gentle pressure to encourage him further southwards. "Horatio," she murmured, a breathy sigh as he continued to caress her with his hand.

Horatio moved slow at her gentle nudges, laying soft licks upon her lower belly and blowing cool air on them as he painstakingly made his way closer and closer to what she wanted.

His finger delved further. Pressing against her swollen center at the wall of her sex before drawing out. Sliding around and against her outer lips he smeared her moisture along them and gently pinched her clit before once more entering to repeat the whole slow and teasing process.

One last kiss to her belly before he finally gazed down upon her, his finger already making love before he arrived (though it didn't stop now). He watched as he repeated the process again, this time blowing a stream of cool air upon her wet sex as his finger pressed her clit.

Anya moved her hips lazily in time with the push of his finger. She wanted to say that the needy noise she had let out wasn't a whimper that sounded like a new born kitten's cry. And that she wasn't squirming, eager for more of his touch.

As he touched her clit, a shudder passed through her. The pleasure was building in her, filling her, ready to spill over and flood her being. But she didn't want it to happen just quite yet.

Horatio withdrew his finger, slowly and fully, to lick and suck it clean of her before applying a hungrier part of himself to the task. Inhaling deeply he leaned in, tongue flicking against her lips and clit before probing into her.

His moan was muffled as his taste buds and senses were overwhelmed by everything Anya. Teeth pressed into her clit, a constant pressure as his kiss reached deep and explored his new desire.

Anya let out another moan as she pressed against his mouth. Shivering under the constant pressure, she began to tremble, her hands clutching at the sheets beneath her on the bed. Giving in to the sensations, she let go of her control and let out a primal yowl of a cat in heat as she came.

She managed not to shift, although she wanted to badly. Instead she dug her fingernails hard into Horatio's shoulders, scratching deeply.

Horatio pressed against her hard with a forced grunt as she simultaneously came and dug her nails into his shoulders. His own hands gripped the sheets to focus the pain for a few more seconds as he lapped up the remaining warm liquid from her.

Moaning as he pulled away Horatio first reached up to grip her hands and sooth her nails out of his shoulders. A hiss through clenched teeth as he rolled each shoulder. "Anya," he whispered, inhaling her one last time before crawling up her body, layering kisses along each breast.

Looking up with hungry and soft eyes: "Did you want to change, right then?" Thin trails of blood tickled both of his shoulders.

Anya nodded, eyes still a bit unfocussed from the pleasure. "That doesn't happen too often," she said, lightly running her fingertips over his shoulders. Spontaneous shifting only occurred during highly emotional moments. And not usually to an older Bastet such as herself.

She tilted her head, considering him carefully. "You sure you could handle it? You were a little spooked when you saw me earlier."

"You didn't really brace-" Horatio cut himself off with a smile. "Well, what could have really prepared me for that part of you?" Crawling up over her abdomen he lay his head against her breast, hearing the strong beat of something more than it appeared.

"I can handle it," he spoke after a moment's silence to reflect on his earlier reaction. Lifting his head to look her in the eye: "Don't hold yourself back, Anya." His erection pressed against her thigh, though he didn't move to enter her yet.

Anya gently stroked his head, lightly purring in lazy anticipation. "I won't hold back, I promise," she said. A devilish glint appeared in those green eyes. "However, you're going to have make me scream again and then we'll see what happens."

He felt hot and hard against her thigh. She lightly shifted the leg between his, rubbing against him. "And if your performance earlier was any indication, you'll have no problems doing that.

Horatio gasped softly as she rubbed against him. He wanted her to scream again, wanted to feel those claws in his flesh and her body tightening beneath him. Wanted to see her change again, because of him.

Shifting his hips he guided himself to her entrance, reaching down to slightly rub his head between her lips, up and down. Then he pressed, slowly entering her and slowly feeling her swallow him to the hilt. Releasing a breath like a sighing moan he bent down to kiss her before moving any further.

She returned the kiss eagerly. He was stretching her pleasantly. Eagerly, she spread her legs wider and then wrapped them around his waist.

As if teasingly, her hands slid lower down his back to rest on his ass. Her fingers crooked into his flesh in imitation of what her claws would do. She applied pressure, trying to get him deeper inside of her.
Starting as she dug fingertips into him he pressed down and up into her, grinding hard in response as he broke the kiss.

Biting her lip, Horatio wanted to taste the blood but he knew blunt teeth had to pinch a lot before blood would trickle. Instead he sucked, licked, as he gazed into her eyes.

What he wanted to do to her, he realized too late, would have been better executed up against a wall where there was more purchase.

Slowly, wanting to build her up, he withdrew from her to his tip. Paused. Released her lip. Slid back in, a smidge faster. As their groins met he pressed down and up again, driving himself in that much further.

Planting her feet flat against the bed, she shoved up against him, letting out a loud purr. Her nails dug deeper into his flesh as she nipped at his mouth. Her deep green eyes stared back at his.

Deciding to give into her desire, she she slowly starting to shapeshift beneath him. Her body stretched and reformed, tail lashing out from between their legs. Then she would be able to bring her claws to bear on him. Horatio moaned, deep, as he saw her shifting begin. He dug in with the next thrust, hands gripping the bed above her shoulders to give her support as his thrusts grew in strength: in hard and then up her body as his crotch met hers. Each movement in jerking them up the bed slightly and then back with each withdrawal.

Her stretching body excited him, a shivering that was hidden by the tense muscle control of each thrust. But his eyes shone and the pupils were large within their dark blue orbs.

Anya scratched up and down his back, her claws raising welts on his skin. Her fur on her back was being rubbed the wrong way from the force of his thrusts, adding a delicious friction. Her purr grew louder, being easier to make in this form.

Her green eyes with their slitted pupils wide stared at his as she writhed under him. Her breath was coming hard and fast. But she needed something more from him to reach her completion.

The changes he saw in her were scaring him, though not as before. Fear in an andrenaline-pumping thriller. A fear he wanted to caress and coax and get to know to understand. Though perhaps it was just the strangeness of it, he knew it was something deeper. With all her power and strength she had still chosen him to mate, to reveal herself to...

The sensations of her body against his changed with everything else. The fur against his thighs and stomach. The changes surrounding and massaging his thick changed as well, though were harder to pin point as a familiar stirring within his gut began.

Grunting with each hard thrust still Horatio reached down with one hand, rubbing the fur along her sides and abdomen until he squeezed his hand between their bodies. Finding her clit he pressed it between her body and his thumb.

Leaning over her he briefly kissed her before turning his head to bite her shoulder.

Anya's purr was punctuated with a mrrrow as his teeth pinched her shoulder. Her tail lashed against his calf with a stinging thwack as she squirmed against her lover, trying to get the stimulation that she needed.

And when the waves of pleasure began she jerked against him. Her teeth closed around his shoulder, slicing into the flesh, leaving her mark.

Horatio's moan and yelp were muffled as he bit into her furry shoulder harder with the pain from her teeth. But the pain felt so good.

He held back, thrusting, pinching, biting, and waiting for her climax before releasing his own. He used her shoulder to muffle his cry as he gave in, coming hard and long into her slick walls.

Even though her jaws were clamped on his shoulder, Anya tried to keep enough control not to snap the bone or separate his shoulder. One paw slammed against the bed, claws slashing deep through the sheets and into the mattress below.

Releasing him from her mouth, she arched up beneath him, taking all that he had to give. She remained tensed beneath him for a few moments and then relaxed beneath him. Her purr took on a soft tone and a lazy satisfaction as her tongue appeared to sweep along his cheek.

Horatio lifted from her, rested his body right up next to her as she licked his cheek with her rough tongue. He lay one leg over hers possessively as he took in her shifted form with glazed eyes. Kissing along her whiskers he felt the change from silky and short bristles of fur to the longer, smoother whiskers against his lips with a contented sigh.

His shoulder ached, he felt the sticky and pinching sensation of an open wound, partly still bleeding and partly crusted with drying blood. It felt like a badge, a marking; he was territory. Like he belonged to the CSI, he now belonged to Anya.

Settling into the bed and against her curves he laid a hand along her furry abdomen, lazily tracing circles in her fur. "Do you mark all of us?" He half asked, half wondered aloud as he buried his nose into her shoulder.

Anya stretched her full body, letting out a lazy cat yawn. As her body retracted, she shape shifted. The large
angular black cat was gone, replaced with the sensuous woman. But cat like, her jaws snapped shut. "Only the ones I intend to keep," she said with a sated look in her eye.

Her hands ran over his back. She let out a little hmmm noise as her fingers caught on the the bite mark she had inflicted on his shoulder. "Didn't think I bit so hard," she said semi-apologetically. "Let me get a bandage for you." Slowly she climbed off the bed. "Do you want to use the shower and clean up some?"

Rising from the bed Horatio looked over his shoulder at the bite mark and smirked. "Only if you join me," he said, voice low and lazy. Following her to the bathroom his eyes wandered once more over the home decor. So she intended to keep him, part of that mellowed him, though it wasn't as if he was usually excitable. It took something... special, to get his guard on the fritz. Something special.

Catching her by her hips he held her back against him, catching her gaze in the bathroom mirror as he laid his lips along her shoulder.

She leaned back against his firm body, turning her head to nip at his ears, teasingly similar to when she nipped him earlier. Anya didn't take lovers for too long, a relationship demands for intimacy and closeness and honesty becoming problems given the secretive nature of Bubasti. But she found herself this time it would be different with this man.

Still, he didn't seem the type to follow strange women home. Or at least that's what she thought. "What were you doing in the bar earlier, Horatio? And be honest," she added with a lazy grin, although her eyes were sharply watching him. "Looking for that case of yours, or for someone like me?"

Horatio's eyes rose in the mirror to meet hers. He didn't answer right away, gazing steadily at her for a moment. He wasn't one to answer questions like this, usually avoided by a phone call. But his cell phone had been turned off.

"What if I said both?" his hands traced her curves up to her shoulders. His words rarely came easily when dealing with emotion, and now was no exception. He spoke slow, finding each word before using it. "I wasn't looking. Haven't been for a while. Tonight... was different I guess, after seeing you. Too lonely and too brave."

"A good answer. An honest answer," she said. Honesty was something she usually considered a liability, given the dark underworld of intrigue she lived in. Say too much to the wrong vampire was a way to find yourself impaled on a silver knife, or some other equally unpleasant punishment.

So it was with great hesitation she said the next words. "And the same one I have," she admitted. Her hands went behind his back to clasp him as well as she could in this position. It was easier to talk to his reflection than to face him directly. "I don't come across many people like you, Horatio, and I'm finding myself loathe to let you get away easily."

One hand left her shoulder, tracing a fingertip up underneath the waterfall of hair to comb the soft, slightly shorter hair along her nape. Her words had no physical affect on him, not right away. As a CSI he had long learned how to hide deep emotions.

As his facade broke though, there lay a want, a yearning so deep that it was pain written on his face as he looked at their reflection. "I'm not leaving as long as you'll have me," was all he said, though there was so much more spoken in his look, his touch, and tone.

Moving her hair aside with a gentle combing of his hand he kissed her nape, inhaling her scent as he maintained eye contact in the mirror. His other hand reached back to grasp hers, holding them together loosely.

Anya entwined their fingers, squeezing lightly. She leaned back against him, resting her weight on his shoulder. "Then that's settled," she said. It wasn't going to be an easy relationship for either of them. He was an officer sworn to uphold the law, and she had no problems making less than ethical deals.

But that could be faced in the morning light. She turned to face him. "So do you want to get into that shower or not?" she asked with a bit of a smirk.

He felt he was sleeping with the enemy, making a very fragile deal with the devil... If his team knew they about this relationship could question him, lose respect, lose dignity. He wasn't avoiding the potential problems, he just hoped he could still do the right thing if the problems got in the way of 'normal' life for his work.

"There's more than a shower I'd like to get into," Horatio smirked at her and, teasingly, released her hands and stepped into the shower alone.

"Soon. I promise," Anya grinned. She added a playful snap of her teeth near his neck. She followed him into the stall, eyeing his backside appreciatively. Idly, she wondered if she could convince him to get a tattoo.

"First, I want to play a little more." She stepped up behind him, pressing herself against his bare back. Her hands slipped around his waist, tracing up his abdomen over firm muscles. "Do you like games, Horatio?" she asked in a sultry voice.

Closing his eyes at her touch Horatio raised a brow at her question. "Not usually, no." His hands come up to lightly follow hers, touching her thin wrists and fingers as they drew goosebumps from his skin.

"But something tells me I'll like your idea of a game," usually his games involved murder, rape, etc. It had been a while since he last played this sort of game. "Show me," he threw a look over his shoulder at her, lashes attempting to hide him.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll enjoy it," Anya purred. "Cats are great game players. We like to toy with our prey." her fingers ghosted up and down his arms, nails barely biting into his skin. "We even let it think that he is going to get away before pouncing and moving in for the kill."

Her fingers now scratched down his back, leaving light red welts. "You sure you want to leave yourself open to that option? Hmmm?"

His instincts from the field were blaring "NO" but he knew he was safe, this was just a game and not the real life and death events he'd been played into. She was giving him ideas and sensations on a new level.

"I'm open," he arched against her fingers, releasing a shuddering breath.

"Are you?" she purred, her voice silky smooth. "So many people believe they are. So many believe that they can handle whatever life throws at them." Her nails circled around the bone of his hip and then began a torturous path back up his abdomen and chest.

"But when it comes to that one moment," Anya continued, almost conversationally. "They aren't. Their minds snap shut tighter than an steel bear trap. So the question becomes, Horatio, how much do you trust me?" Now her claws were raking down his chest, their destination apparent.

His lips moved, jaw slack as her nails began their travel down his chest. Closing his eyes he took a breath, bending his arms back to lay his hands on her hips. "I've been to that one moment many times," he whispered. "And it's never been like this."

He wasn't about to answer to question his trust. Didn't want to think about it. "Show me. Show me how much I can trust you," he moaned, barely above a whisper through sealed lips.

Anya nuzzled the back of his shoulder, and then bit it lightly. Her teeth didn't break the skin, but delivered more of a pinch. "You brought your handcuffs?" He seemed to be such a straight arrow cop, she was sure he was never without them. Nor his gun or badge, but she wasn't interested in those.

Her voice was a low, sultry purr. "Go get them."

Turning to step out of the shower Horatio brushed his lips against her ear, taking a moment to admire her curves with his hands before obeying her.

Holding the cuffs out to her, hidden within his loose fist, Horatio silently awaited her game as he returned to her side.

She had turned off the water, but the air was still thick with steam. Anya took the handcuff as he kissed his cheek lightly. "Thank you, Horatio. Now relax and enjoy." Taking his hands, she placed them above his head, clipping one of the bracelets around his wrist. The chain went over the neck of the shower spigot, and the other cuff firmly attached to his other wrist. Now he was immobilized with his hands above his head.

Chest and abdomen stretched before her, feet planted firmly on the ground with but a few inches to bend his legs Horatio tested the bonds knowing there wouldn't be any give. The wall, though still slightly warm from the steam, chilled his back and shoulders.

The last time he had used cuffs for something other than an arrest had been too long ago. Watching her through half-lidded eyes he awaited his sentence with bated breath.

Anya grinned a feral smile. She allowed herself to shapeshift, not to the full on Crinos catwoman form, but the decidedly more than human but less than werecat Socto form. Her claws slightly extended, points appeared on her ears, and her black tattoo disappeared into her darker skin tone. Her grin grew wider, revealing feline fangs. Her claws lightly scratched up and down his chest, circling his nipples and his navel. She kept her touch light, just barely raising welts.

As she shifted Horatio watched, already longing to touch her again as his wrists moved against their bonds. As she touched him he held still, breath shuddering slightly as he closed his eyes and tilted his head.
He wondered what designs she would mark him with this time, the wound on his shoulder still sharp.

Anya let out a rumbling purr, snapping her teeth near his earlobe, threatening the tender flesh. "Keep your eyes open, Horatio. If I wanted you not to watch, I would have blindfolded you," she said with a smirk.

Her fingers didn't stop roaming his torso, dipping lower and lower on his body. "Tell me, Horatio," she purred. "How far are you willing to trust me?"

Horatio closed his slack jaw and swallowed. His abdomen quivered as her claws left a lingering trail, lower, lower... and tensed. A pause before answering in the only way he knew: "I'll tell you when... if you cross the line," his hooded eyes regarded her for a steamy moment. "But you won't, will you?" A lusting half smile.

Her grin took on a feral sensuality. "But isn't that half the fun?" she said, the tips of her claws just barely caressing his balls. "Blowing past that line? Pushing it back? Redefining it?" Anya blew softly in his ear as her claws then drifted higher to trace along his length.

A gasping moan played across Horatio's lips, and he had to admit he found more pleasure in that touch than pain. Or maybe he was starting to confuse the two. "I have a feeling you redefine many lines," Horatio spoke with one breath, a long sensual sigh. Turning his head he felt her fur brush along his cheek, he lightly rubbed his cheek against hers before seeking her fanged kiss.

Anya nipped at his lips, careful not to do anything more than scratch his skin. Her claws lightly continued to stroke him, the tips just barely raising welts. Her tongue slipped past her razor sharp teeth to caress his blunt square ones.

Her other hand slipped around his hip to knead his ass. She kept the pressure on both of her hands light, not wanting to do permanent damage.

Horatio's tongue sought out and met Anya's with a whimpering moan. He never whimpered, but she was making him do things he had never considered doing before. Placing himself in an entire situation he'd frown at if it were another in his team.

He pressed a little, feeling the sharp canines against his lips as his tongue tangoed with hers. He tensed, prevented himself from jumping as her other claws grazed along his ass. Jumping would have meant serious damage to his member she was still graciously teasing.

Anya laughed into the kiss. She pulled back long enough to gaze up and down his body. "No identifying scars I see," she purred. Her claws bit in just a little deeper, but not too deep to draw blood. "Would you like some?"
She rubbed her cheek against him. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? For me to put my mark on you? Let anyone else who sees you like this know that you belong to me?"

Truth was, Horatio was liking everything she was putting him through. He moaned as she spoke of physically marking him, squirming against her dangerous claws, driving them further against his flesh. "Yes," he breathed, unable to control the way his voice moaned. "Mark me, Anya."

She wished she had bothered to learn the 'Mark as Mine' rite. That would keep other Bastet, as well as anyone with the slightest sensitivity to the occult, away from him. Instead she's have to content herself with a physical reminder. "And where would you like this mark? Here?" Claws trailed down his chest. "Here?" They tickled his side unmercifully. "Or perhaps here?" They lightly dug into one round cheek of his ass.

He wanted to grab her hand, guide it the place he wanted the mark. At least he got to choose... unless she was toying with him. Lightly testing his bonds, he wondered why he kept doing that, Horatio leaned as much as he could against them. Close to her, nipping at her fuzzy ear he told of where he wanted to be branded. "Right thigh. Right inner thigh." He wanted the mark to be... a surprise. A smirk played across his face.

"You sure?" she asked with an innocent looking smile. "I can't do it here. It's a rather involved mark. Might take me a while to do." Her claws continued to stroke him, a hint of what was to come. She purred into his ear. "Are you certain you are up to this?"

Nipping at her ear he squirmed against his bonds. "You can cuff me to the bed then," he was biting at the bit, anxious for her claws to be on his body again. Anxious for the soft bed against his back instead of the cold and wet shower wall.

Anya smiled. "Your trusting nature is going to get you in over your head one of these days." Reaching around behind him, she turned off the water. Still stretched against him and on her tiptoes, she undid his handcuffs. She rubbed her nose against his affectionately before kissing him lightly.

Then she took a step back. "Go dry off and lay down on the bed on your back. I'll join you in a moment." There were a few things she needed to gather to do this. And a few more things she needed in order to set the mood.

His trusting nature... he smirked, kept his lips tight as he grabbed a towel. She was right though, when it came to her he was completely a fool. He wondered at what Eric or Speed would think of this... a woman he had just met, picked up, and was getting marked like territory by. Many of his victims had marks.

Quickly rubbing the towel down the length of his body he hissed as the towel brushed his erection. He left the towel on the floor as he lay onto the bed, staring at the cieling, hands twitching on the bed sheets.

Anya had toweled off quickly as well, and kept an eye as she gathered up the things she needed. A thin bladed knife to supplement her claws, some peroxide to sterilize the area, gauze and bandages to control the bleeding, and a few silken scarves to tie his legs apart.

She smiled when she saw that he was already on the bed. "Hands above your head, Horatio, and legs apart," she instructed, holding up the handcuffs.

Horatio complied, lightly gripping the head bar of the bed as he spread his legs to the far corners of the bed. He took in the supplies she carried with a nervous half-smile.

Anya picked up the handcuffs, smiling with a twinkle in her eyes. Leaning over him so her breasts just tickled his skin, she cuffed his hands to the headboard. After brushing her lips against his forehead, she moved down to the foot of the bed. She lifted each ankle and kissed it before tying it to each bedpost.

She settled on one hip between his legs, hers resting along side his right one as she laid out her supplies. "Last chance to back out, Horatio," she offered.

"And why would I want to do that?" He asked, settling his head into the pillow, unable to clearly see what she was doing. He could feel the tension in his back, and the way his legs were trussed knew he couldn't relax his thigh muscle anyway. "Just go slow," he added as an after thought, not wanting to be shocked and end up bucking into the blade.

She could see the tension in his whole body. His muscles were drawn tight as a bow string about to let an arrow fly. Gently, Anya put one hand on his well defined stomach, caressing his abs lightly. "Relax if you can," she purred as she picked up the disposable razor.

The design she had in mind was slightly complicated, swirls and angles melding to form a glyph of the Bastets' private language. It roughly translated to "Mine! Stay away!" And she couldn't think of anything more fitting as she shaved a four inch area on the inside of his right thigh. Then she wiped the area down with an alcohol swab and reached for the thin bladed knife.

A shuddering sigh as she shaved the area and then applied a cold alcohol, his leg jerked at the initial sensation. Shifting his leg slightly he tried to do what she said. Breathing deeply he closed his eyes.

At first it tickled, then he could feel the blade drawing a slow, thin line. He breathed deeper, mouth open as he fingered the steel of his wrist restraints. He concentrated on what he could hear and feel other than what she was doing.

He often had to force himself to distance from certain cases. He brought one such memory up now, trying to distance himself away from the stinging.

"You're doing verrrry well," Anya purred. she was a quarter way though the design, working on the central whorl, pausing every few moments to wipe away the blood. Then she would resume her carving. It was amazing how well he was holding up to the discomfort.

Her eye glanced up and saw the expression on his face, one of a man trying to be anywhere but where he was. "Do you need me to stop for a bit?" she inquired, raised eyebrow distorting her tattoo slightly.

Swallowing past the memory Horatio put on a masked smirk for her. "Just thinking," he said. "Don't stop." He was always bothered by how strongly he'd react to these memories. How they could grip him even during... this. The stinging pain had left him for a bit, the memories nearly dream like.

He tried to return to that state, pushing the thoughts and feelings of what she was doing away again. At the same time wondering if it was wise, would she pick up on his state of mind?

He half dreamt, changing aspects here and there until the outcome was... different. His hands twisted, just barely, in their restraints. He was somewhere else. Pleasant for the once victim, and not so pleasant for him this time.

She continued the carving, surprised that he wasn't protesting more. Most weren't into this sort of scarification. Especially when a person he barely knew was wielding a sharp knife scant inches from his genitals.

Anya glanced upwards, noting the expression on his face. "Horatio?" she asked. "Talk to me. How are you doing?"

Horatio blinked at her voice, not registering it's meaning, it was out of place here. Guilt and memory were his strongest foes, though he held them close like a lover wherever he went.

"I'm sorry," barely whispered over her grave, unshed tears blurring his vision as he stood there, staring at the marker.

Anya's gaze sharpened. Placing a cloth on his thigh and holding it to control the bleeding, she leaned over him, trying to get as near his face as she could. "Horatio, look at me. Tell me where you are." Wherever he was, he was most definitely not here with her. And if he wasn't, what was the point of doing this? "Return to me, Horatio," she purred. "Return to your Anya. You have no need of being sorry," she coaxed.

Horatio's hands twisted and pulled against their restraints, her voice cutting into his grief again. A slightly confused look crossed his face as he pulled on the cuffs harder. "Anya," the name was... blinking his eyes open a trapped tear ran down his face as he stared at a cat hovering over him. Stiffening at the cat, the sudden pain way too near his groin, and the fact he couldn't move away. The cat... "Anya," he gasped, twisting against his restraints. "Anya." Not identifying the cat with the girl he had picked up at the club.

"Easy," Anya soothed, not realizing what was frightening him. She reached a hand to stroke his face to calm him, and paused when she saw the velvety stubble covering them. She had forgotten that she was in her catwoman shape, and that was not helping the situation.

It took a moment's concentration for the black furred skin to turn hairless and honey brown. "Horatio," she said softly, touching his cheek lightly. "I'm sorry I frightened you. Are you okay?"

"I-" Horatio shivered, leaning his face into her touch. "Forgot... where I was," he swallowed, eyes closing and lips drawing a thin line. His emotions had always been so easy to access, and yet do difficult to reveal to others.

"Sorry," he whispered after a moment, offering a small smile as he looked up at her. "They say a woman can make a man do strange things."

Anya gently continued to stroke his head. "It's okay." The human mind was such a fragile thing, she mused. So easily stressed and broken. She leaned closer to press her lips to his.

"So tell me, Horatio, which is the strange thing?" she asked playfully, trying to lighten his mood. "You forgetting where you were? Letting me do this," she tapped his thigh lightly, "to you? Or all of the above?"

"You didn't make me get your marking... I was marked once I saw you on that stage." Horatio chuckled, something that sounded odd to his ears. "Why did you accept my offer?" He smirked. "And how many other's have you marked?"

Anya graced him with a mysterious smile. "I guess I could say that I was in the mood for for something a little different." Her fingers teased his hair lightly. "And none," she admitted. This was the first time she had the impulse to make a one night stand into something more.

Her eyes flicked back down to his thigh and the partially finished design. "Are you ready for me to continue?" If he said no, she would wait until he was.

Horatio nodded. He didn't want to postpone the rest of it any longer than his waking dream already had. He stared up at his bound hands as she continued, this time not seeking refuge from the pain but feeling each line as it was drawn.

She kissed his lips lightly. "Tell me if it's too much," Anya said, brushing her lips against his cheek. Picking up the knife, she moved back down between his legs and resumed the light carving.

She worked steadily for several more minutes, completing the slashes and swirls and flourishes. "There, done." Anya grinned at him from her position low on the bed. "I think you deserve a reward for doing so well," she said, running her nose along the underside of his cock.

Horatio released the breath he had been holding in a slight jump at the sudden change of sesnsation near his groin. It had been too long since he had last mixed pleasure with pain. Her words and touch drew a breathy sigh from him as he arched into his bonds. "I've been waiting for you to say that," he teased.

"Really?" she said. Slowly she licked up the length of his cock, just barely using the tip of her tongue. She flicked lightly against the spongy head, a light lashing. "You're not the least bit curious what it looks like? Want me to get you a mirror so you can see my handiwork?"

Slowly it occured to him she was to keep him tied up, his mind focusing on the feel of her teasing and just able to grasp the word mirror. Licking his lips he gazed down at her. "Show me," he breathed as his cock throbbed for more attention.

Smiling she reached over to grab a circular makeup mirror and placed it between his legs. "It's a Bastet glyph," she explained as she adjusted the surface so he could see the curves and angles of it. "It means 'Mine! Stay away!'" Anya leaned over to kiss his mouth, taking a light grip on her cock. "So anyone who sees that now will know that at this moment, you belong to me." Her hand slowly stroked up and down his length, teasing him with a light touch.

With a long sigh Horatio stretched as much as he could within his bonds. "To you," he repeated. "I'm yours."
Claiming her mouth he delved into it with fire, a slight desperation at her teasing. When the kiss broke he gently held her lower lip between his for an instance. "All yours," he moaned.

She settled against his side, eyes lidded as she gave him a mysterious smile. "All mine," Anya confirmed, her hand sliding across the planes of his chest. Her lips brushed against his lightly again, tongue just tickling across the insides of them.

Her hand continued its downward motion, tracing the outlines of each of his abdominal muscles and swirling around his belly button. "All mine," she whispered again, taking his mouth in a fierce kiss as her hand closed around his cock and squeezed lightly.

Horatio plunged into the kiss, tongue desperately dancing with hers. His body writhed beneath her as she grasped his cock, his hips equally desperate to be with hers. In his bonds he struggled to move against her warm and firm hand, muscles twitching and straining to move nearer to her. Muffled by the kiss he made a whimpering moan when he couldn't budge as much as he needed to.

She could feel the tension and desperation in his body, and relished the feeling of power it gave her. Anya also wanted to see that power unleashed. Still kissing him, she reached up and undid the bonds pinning his hands above his head.

Like a swimmer breaking back into open air to replenish his lungs Horatio felt a part of him gasping at the freedom. Sliding his hands down her shoulders he grasped her close to his body, turning his head to keep the kiss deep.

While one hand remained between her shoulder blades the other pressed into her flesh as it traveled down her back and to her thigh, gripping her ass.

The way he held her meant that Anya couldn't untie his legs. But that wasn't a problem at this point. She shifted her legs so now she was straddling his thighs, still intent on teasing him.

"Tell me what you want, Horatio," she whispered between kisses. "And I'll give it to you."

"I want you," Horatio moaned in desperation, his kiss finding the crook of her neck. Biting and kissing her neck he moved his other hand down her back, gripping both cheeks of her ass and teasing her puckered hole as he urged her hips down onto his cock. "I need you," he rasped.

"You have me," she said. Anya smirked as she resisted his guiding movements, and then suddenly gave in, sinking on him. Her mouth continued to work at his, nipping and sucking and biting as she took him in deeply.
Eventually, even a bit reluctantly she pulled away and sat straight up. Looking into his eyes, she started to raise and lower herself on him in a slow motion.

With parted lips Horatio stared up into her eyes. Soft, gasping moans as she moved on top of him. Hands still resting on her hips his nimble fingers and palms felt each muscle work as he shifted on his cock.

Arching his back and neck into the sheets he broke eye contact as he moaned, the pain of the recent marking and pleasure of her warm walls enveloping him with pure ecstasy.

Anya let out a soft yowl as she squeezed him with her internal muscles. Pleasure radiated through her body. Her claws scratched down his chest, caressing and teasing him, adding to the sensation of pain and pleasure.

The scent of blood and sex hung heavy in the air.

Arching into her claws Horatio found her gaze again. His eyes heavily lidded. Straining against the bonds on his ankles, digging his heels into the bed up against the poles he began thrusting up each time she came down on him. Catching one of her clawed hands he held it up to her face, sucking on the tips of each finger and feeling the claws with his tongue.

Anya let out a soft purr as she ground herself against Horatio. She let out a sound similar to a cat in heat as she continued to ride him, the one hand still on his chest kneading the muscle, claws digging into skin. The other hand held perfectly still, enjoying the feel of his tender tongue wrapping around her claws. She was quivering, ready to fall into ecstasy, but only if he fell with her.

The trembling of her walls as they tightened and clamped down around his cock caused him to buck against his bonds. Reluctantly he released her hand, gripping the bed sheets either side of him for purchase as he thrust up to meet her.

Her claws, the pain from the mark and his bonds, and the feral voice she was giving was enough to drive him over. He continued thrusting up as he erupted with a loud moan.

Panting, Anya let out a second brief cry that blended with his. She quivered feeling him cum inside her. Eyes closed and head thrown back, she let the pleasure sweep through her body.

Panting, she let her claws retract into her fingertips. Still trying to catch her breath, she leaned forward and rested against his chest. She rubbed her cheek against the slightly sweaty skin, letting out a soft purr.

Gasping for each breath Horatio stroked and petted her neck and back, fingertips digging in past the fur in a scratching motion. His body shook from time to time as it cooled, small tremors running through his relaxing muscles.

Eventually he felt like he wasn't fighting for each breath and released a long sigh. But there was no words available for him.

She felt the occasional shiver run through him and she let out a soft sigh. Anya sat up slightly and reached down to untie the scarves at his ankles. She grabbed the comforter from the base of the bed and pulled it up over her body.

She gave a soft sigh as she shifted back to her human form. "It will be dawn soon," she said, tracing a finger lazily over his cheek.

Horatio could feel the tight muscles in his calves slowly release as they could now move, the slight burn from where his ankles had rubbed along the wood of the posts. Turning his head he caught her finger with a gentle kiss. The time of day surprised him though he was too content to do much more than raise a brow.

"Would you like to watch the sun rise?" He smirked at the thought: "I've never watched it rise while off duty."

She had been living among the Kindred for so long that she had forgotten when she had last seen a sunrise. "I would love to," Anya said. She reached stood up and slipped into a blood red silk robe. Smiling, she extended her hand to him to help him out of the bed. "Would you like me to give you a robe to wear? I'm not certain you want to put fabric against your thigh while it's still healing."

"You'd prefer I display myself to your neighbors, wouldn't you?" Horatio teased with a wink. He knew she was right though, the marking hurt and throbbed. Anything less than a tight gauze wrapping would making walking a chore.

"I'll leave it open for them," and he did, one hand holding the fabric away from his thigh after he donned the robe.

Anya smiled at him. He may be street wise in the human world, but in hers, he still had a lot to learn. "Most of my ne