Jean-Claude said nothing as the woman, who was supposed to be his world walked out with another man. His eyes returned to Buffy who sat cuddling Jason and Nathaniel. The other Weres had returned to their human forms except for these two. He suspected they didn't change on purpose. After watching her coo and cuddle them, he couldn't say he blamed them.
Cherry, a wereleopard, asked, "Who is she? Her power called to us, but it felt different from Gabriel's. It felt as if she was telling us to come to her and she would protect us from anyone - you, Marcus, Raina - even Gabriel."
He listened to Cherry as Buffy's previous life flashed before him. He saw her protecting innocents even at the cost of her own life. Looking closer at the Weres in his office, it dawned on him that they all needed protection. Ah, mon petit cadeau, such a large task for such tiny hands.
Jean-Claude compared Buffy and Anita, seeing the similarities and the huge differences. Anita went after the monsters, as she called them, as a job and her own personal war. She helped people, but it was normally after the fact. Buffy, from what he saw and felt, searched out the innocents. She focused on the victims, not the monsters she fought. Buffy protected people first and was a warrior second. Anita was a warrior, who protected people as a side effect of her focus. Who was right he didn't know, but something told him if it came to a choice, he would want Buffy on his side.
He was about to see why as Gabriel and Raina walked into the office. They shoved their power into the room, causing the Weres to shrink back in fear. Buffy's head snapped up, her eyes turning feral as they focused on the Nimir-Raj and Lupa. The two Were leaders looked her over with malicious smiles. Raina, a tall voluptuous redhead, whose face wasn't classically beautiful, but interesting in its uniqueness. Strong cheekbones, large green eyes and plump red lips insured that no one would forget it once they saw it. Gabriel's tanned skin, dark hair and eyes created a beautiful package. His face caused you to think of sex, with his heavy lidded eyes and full sensual lips.
Their tight hold, on the pard and pack, was undeniable. They used their partnership in pornographic snuff films to control their respective groups through vindictive, cruel and sadistic means. Raina, especially, enjoyed breaking in the male members to her idea of fun and games. The Ulfric of the pack, Marcus, loved her and let her do whatever she liked. He ignored her beating, torturing and raping the pack members. Gabriel was no better, and many times allowed his pard to be the raped in the films or forced them to rape unwilling pack members.
Buffy immediately knew that she didn't like these two people or Weres, as she now knew to call them. She felt their power pushing at the people in the room. She wasn't in control last time, but she felt she understood it better now. Here goes nothing. Buffy focused her power at the two and pushed. Raina and Gabriel gasped as it hit them. They opened their shields to fight back, but it was no use. Buffy forced them to shift; not like the others, this was an act of total submission or nothing. She pushed harder, the closer she got until they shifted. Gabriel tried to jump at Buffy, but she swatted him away as if he weighed nothing. Everyone froze when Buffy continued walking to Raina's bowed wolf form. The others knew how dangerous the Lupa could be when cornered or - any other time. Buffy grabbed Raina by the scruff of her neck and shook her like a naughty puppy.
In a hard, cold voice, Buffy told her. "You won't hurt them ever again, do you hear me, BITCH!" Raina whimpered letting out a sharp whine, her wolf body took a submissive stance even in the air. "I don't know what you two have done to them but it stops right here, right now." She leaned in close to Raina's ear. "I know you're the ring leader, and from one bitch to another. I'll smile as I tear you apart with my bare hands."
The Lupa howled, not in triumph, but as a wolf acknowledging another as her better. Buffy threw her across the room, before turning to Gabriel. He lay on the ground where he landed. Gabriel crawled on his stomach as Buffy bent down to him ordering, "CHANGE." He morphed back to his human form.
"You, I can imagine what you've done. If you value your assets, then you'll keep your paws off my kitties. They're mine to protect are we clear?"
Gabriel nodded before his head shot up realizing that he just gave his pard away. "Jean-Claude, she's human, she can't take my pard." He looked to the Master of the City for support.
"Gabriel, you're wrong. She's far from human. Mon amour, turn so that he can see your back." Buffy did as he asked without question. She trusted Jean-Claude with everything inside her.
The Nimir-Raj saw the tattoo at the base of her spine. "What does that mean, Jean-Claude? Surely, it's something she did to herself."
"Non, Gabriel, look closer. I know you aren't a stupid man. Have you ever seen a tattoo such as that anywhere? If you don't recognize it, I'll assist you. Buffy's tattoos are done as they were done in ancient Egypt, long ago when they worshipped Osiris and as it was done in ancient Greece when Hecate was worshipped in Athens as a major goddess. Non, Sombre idiot, mon petit cadeau is far from human."
Buffy looked at the dark haired vampire as understanding about her tattoos dawned on her. "Then the kitties are mine, right? He gave them to me wrapped up with a bow."
"Yes, mon amour, they're yours. We're all witnesses." He smiled at the glorious smile that spread across her face.
"Cool, now you, Gaby, was it? You aren't welcome here, anymore. I don't want you near them. Do you hear what I'm saying?" She leaned in grabbing his ear with a low growl, which surprised everyone. "I'll tell you like I told Rainman, over there. You, I would enjoy killing with a song on my lips. Think of all the bad things you've done in your life, all the pain you've dealt out, multiply that by ten, that's what you will feel before I let you die. You catching, what I'm throwing, Gaby?" He nodded his head. "Good, now leave." Gabriel moved quickly out the door.
Buffy walked over to Jean-Claude giving him a stern look. "We'll talk about your choices in friends later, babe." She turned her back on him to look at Raina.
Jean-Claude grabbed her, pulling her into his arms. "Ma chére, you're very stimulating like this." He held her back to his chest as he pressed the evidence into her backside.
She looked over her shoulder with a wicked grin then turned back to Raina, subtly wiggling her rear closer to him, causing Jean-Claude to groan. Buffy giggled softly. "So, Rainman, I think you should leave, Gaby's probably waiting for you."
Raina resumed her human form to looking down at Buffy. "This isn't over, you made a huge mistake little girl."
Jean-Claude snarled, surprising everyone, including himself. "You just made one yourself, Lupa. Do not forget who the Master here is."
He pushed his power to call her beast, forcing Raina to slam into the floor once more.
"I believe you were asked to leave."
Raina crawled from the office. Damian closed the door after her with a soft smile on his otherwise stoic face.
The leopards swarmed around Buffy, pushing to get closer, as they bowed in front of her. "Uh, guys, you don't have to do that, okay." One by one, Buffy pulled them to their feet. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. Could someone help me out?"
"You're our pard's Nimir-Ra, the leader. We have to do whatever you say," Cherry explained.
"Well, how about this? Tell me your names, so I don't have to give you numbers, then we'll figure the rest out together. I'd only tell you what to if you were in danger. I know that I don't like people telling me what to do, so I'm not much on dishing it out. Now, who is who?"
Buffy gave them an encouraging smile. Jean-Claude laughed watching her try to learn their names and occupations. When she found out that Cherry had been fired from her nursing job because of her Were status. He got to the count of two, before Buffy exploded.
"That's just, just, stupid. That's what that is." She ranted pacing the room. "You can't catch it. It isn't a disease; it's a condition. What's the matter with people here? Can't they see you're just people, who happen to be Weres or vampires? It isn't the other way around; I mean you have souls. Being human isn't the end all, be all, on who's better."
"You can feel our souls, ma chére?"
"Of course I can, can't you?" She stopped pacing to look at him in confusion.
"Non, mon petit amour, many believe we don't have one."
"That's just stupid. I mean that's the same way they used to treat people with Aids."
Jean-Claude picked her up, heading for the door. "What're you doing?" Buffy looked at him like he had lost his mind.
"Mon petit cadeau, listening to your speech is very amusing. I thought that I would take you up on your threat if I were to start laughing." He gave a throaty chuckle, sending shivers down her spine.
Buffy's eyes went wide, then heavy-lidded with passion. "Yeah, we should talk about this in private, my dark lover."
The last she said in French. She didn't know how she knew what words to say. They just tumbled from her lips. At this moment, it didn't matter to her how she understood everything that Jean-Claude said to her, or that she could talk to him in his native tongue, all that mattered was that she could.
His steps quickened as Buffy whispered French love words in his ear. He arrived at the bedroom in record time, lowering Buffy to the bed, just as she bit his ear lobe. Jean-Claude growled, ripping the halter from her body, baring her golden breasts. Buffy raised her arms to him, welcoming him to her arms and her heart. Something about this man called to her, and Buffy decided she wanted to answer that call. Jean-Claude smiled, a real smile, as he lay down in his golden ones arms. She was like coming home. Everything would be all right as long as he was in her arms. He pulled his shirt off, so that he could feel her, skin to skin.
Buffy sighed when their skin touched; it was what she needed, what she craved. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close. Her tongue asked entrance, and Jean-Claude welcomed her inside. He buried his hands in her hair, holding her in place as he swept her along. His power pushed forward, begging to be let out. Buffy's answered him as her own broke its tethers.
Jean-Claude's inherited his power for passion as part of the incubus through Belle-Morte's line. It took years for him to learn how to control it. In mere minutes, Buffy's surge of power demolished that hard won control.
"Mon Dieu, mon petit cadeau, I don't know what this might mean for you, for us."
"Jean, let's find out together, mon amour."
Buffy unzipped her skirt with one hand while Jean-Claude toed off his boots. He sat her on the bed while he pulled off his pants. His hands swept the little scrap of leather from around her waist. Buffy half-stood on her knees, nude for her lover. She scooted back as he crawled toward her. Their eyes lit with the flames of desire. When he captured her in his arms, her hands smoothed over his unblemished chest. She leaned up to tease a nipple with her tongue, causing Jean-Claude to purr.
Buffy laughed, "So, you're just a big kitty. Let's see if we can make you roar."
She shoved him back then pounced on the pale muscular body. Jean-Claude threw his head back with a roar as her hands and teeth brought him to a climax. Jean-Claude scooped her up, pulling her to his mouth as he kissed her. Buffy's tongue swirled in his mouth as she played with his fangs, then she did it. Pressing her tongue to fang, she pierced her tongue and offered up her blood for him to feast on. He sucked on her tongue ravenously, pulling it down into his own. Buffy's sweet powerful blood hit him like a jackhammer. Jean-Claude's threw his head back to shout out once more. His hands roamed her body, like a blind man learning someone's face.
"Mon amour, you're like the warmest honey. Tonight we will chase the perfect moment to feel the petite mort. Oui, the little death will be ours, mon petit cadeau. Come, mon amour, let us begin our journey." His beautiful smooth voice wrapped around them as his hands played her body like a master. They never stopped touching, teasing or giving pleasure while he talked.
"Jean-Claude, take us there," her voice husky with passion.
He bent forward licking her neck as Buffy turned her head, baring her neck. For the first time he noticed the scar there, and an uncontrollable rage overtook him.
He stopped moving, to accuse in a soft whisper. "You have another's mark here, chére."
"There's only us here, remove the mark and replace it with your own," she said, demanding that he continue.
With a roar, he sank his fangs into her neck. Buffy screamed his name as her back arched, and her arms held him to her neck the same way she held him tightly within her body. Jean-Claude's pulled away from her neck roaring her name.
Buffy pulled him back to her neck. He sank his fangs back into her neck, and Buffy bit into his with her own dull teeth. Jean-Claude felt her little teeth bite him and his eyes rolled back in his head. She drank a sip of his blood, causing her to climax again while he continued to drink.