Chapter 12

“Can we go out tonight, John?” Azelia asked as we walked past some shops in town.

“Of course. We need to practice your hunting skills.”

She grabbed my hand and pulled me to a bench. “I thought I did okay,” she whispered.

When I touched her chin with my fingertips, she resisted at first, but finally she turned to look at me with tear-filled eyes. “You did, my love, you did.” I cupped her pretty face in my hands, and wiped the moisture from her cheeks with my thumbs. “You did brilliantly.” I pulled her close for a tender kiss. “You even picked out your own prey on just your second hunt. I am very proud of you.”

“What’s the first thing I need to work on to get better?” she asked.

“Honey, I just think you’re not taking the time to enjoy this like you could.”

Azelia gave me a naughty smile. “I guess I really did attack that security guard, didn’t I? Well, he was only the second man I’ve had cum in my mouth. Between being nervous and feeling The Hunger, I just needed to get things done.”

“Where would you like to go tonight?” I asked. “Where would you like to hunt?”

“I wish I knew a way to get into one place, but you have to have a membership or be on some celebrity list to get in there.”

“Where is that?”

“On Adam Court off Grafton Street. A place called Lillie’s Bordello. You should see some of the people who go in there! There’s no way we can get in,” Azelia said.

“Have you forgotten about this morning? You didn’t take off your robe and put on these clothes yourself. We will get in. As I said, I’ve learned some magic over the years. Part of it comes from a healthy diet, you know. Yours will develop, too, over time.”

“What should I wear?” Azelia asked.

“What impression do you want people to have? Elegant or outrageous?”

“If we’re going hunting at a place like Lillie’s, maybe it should be a bit of both,” Azelia replied.

“Should we try over there?” I said, pointing to a shop across the street.

“Leather and Lace by Lilith,” Azelia read from the ornate sign in front of the shop. “I’ve heard of that place.”

The inside of the shop was lit by a myriad of small spotlights, painting the room with sharp areas of intense illumination, piercing the overall gloom of the place. We passed mannequins dressed in a variety of styles of leather garments, primarily black with splashes of intense color in fishnet, gauze, silk, or lace. Glass display cases showed a small collection of restraints, masks, tools, and toys, color-coordinated with the mannequins.

Azelia eventually chose a leather bustier, dyed the same green as her eyes, over a black leather mini-skirt slit nearly to the hip. The outfit was completed with black leather high-top boots and a black lace cape. With her auburn hair and fair skin, she looked delectably dangerous.

While Azelia was changing back into her street clothes, a young raven-haired goth-looking woman came through a curtain behind the counter. She was dressed in a black patent leather vest and black peasant skirt, both of which accentuated her slender figure. “Those are nice hunting clothes for a novice,” she said.