Harlee POV
Afternoon shifts were murder, and worse, I walked in to see a smiling Ash waiting for me.
"Oh good God." I griped. Ash laughed.
"Not quite-but close!" Ash grinned. I felt Zeev reaching outward with his senses towards Ash. I grabbed his hand and pulled him towards me for a kiss.
'What are you doing Mistress?' Zeev shot through our link.
'Buying you more time.' I responded. Zeev growled approvingly and deepened the kiss, backing me up against the counter, which coincidentally moved us closer to Ash.
'I'm getting nothing Harlee, I'm sorry.' Zeev sighed, drawing back with a gentle, final kiss.
'It's ok, thank you.' I leaned my forehead against his chest.
"That looks fun-can I join next?" Ash murmured from directly behind us.
"Perverted sociopath." I snarled as Ash's scent once again overtook me. The roasted pumpkin and crushed leaves made me cling to Zeev as my head got dizzy. Zeev's body stiffened, our link was still fully open and he got a whiff of Ash from me. I felt him using my senses suddenly to examine Ash, which made the dizziness worse. I groaned and dug my fingers into Zeev's shirt, there was a quick tumble of thoughts from Zeev that I couldn't quite trace.
"Are you alright Harlee?" Ash asked. I felt Ash's cool hand brush the back of my neck and my entire body arced like I had been electrocuted. Zeev suddenly snatched me out of Ash's grasp. I was panting, I could feel an unsettling throbbing settling throughout my body, but none so uncomfortable as between my thighs.
"I see what you mean Harlee." Zeev commented softly. He was still in my head and experiencing things from both our perspectives. "I think you should be very careful around Ash." He whispered next to my ear. "Perhaps you'd like to go home today?" I nodded.
"Hey-what's going on? Where are you taking her? What's wrong?" Ash ran out from behind the counter and grabbed my arm. I jolted.
"She's obviously not feeling well. I intend to take her home." Zeev replied calmly.
"She has a shift right now, and besides-should you really move her? I mean-look at her-she can barely stand! How is she gonna walk? You guys usually walk in and outta here!" Ash objected. Zeev scooped me up off the floor.
"She doesn't need to walk. I can carry her." Zeev growled. Ash yanked on me, attempting to pull me from Zeev's arms.
"The whole way?! Don't be stupid! You're not superhuman! You'll get tired! What then?! Let her rest here in the breakroom. I'll watch out for her!" Ash's and Zeev's touches were unbearable. They had no idea how much my body was on fire and them tugging, pulling and accidentally nudging me was absolutely driving me crazy. I grabbed Zeev around the neck, trembling.
"Please, stop." I whimpered. "I can't take it." Zeev looked down at me with a frown, and then, as if making a decision, Zeev strode towards the breakroom with me still in his arms. He sat me on the bench, Ash hovering behind him.
"How do you want to proceed Harlee?" There was a tendril of though in my head. He was offering to expose himself to take me home to get away from Ash. But there was also the offer to stay with me at work if I needed, or even... I blushed imagining the last scenario of Zeev and I in the employee bathroom having sex. "Whatever you need Harlee." Zeev said softly.
"I'm gonna go to the restroom now and splash some cold water on my face. You two-stay here." I ordered, narrowly escaping them as I stumbled my way off the bench. I made it two steps before Ash grabbed my arm again.
"Let someone help you at least!" Ash wrapped an arm around my waist. I flinched. "You look like you're going to fall down!" Ash's face was inches from mine when I turned, and I felt my body responding to the pumpkin scent, and gentle hand on my waist. I melted into Ash's arms with a soft moan.
Zeev POV
Harlee didn't get to see the wicked grin that crossed Ash's face as she fell into their arms. That scent.. Just that slight tinge of burning. I recognized it, but it couldn't be.. This being was human. I couldn't even smell that burnt scent unless it was through Harlee's senses! Maybe it was something unique to her. Harlee's face turned toward's Ash's and Ash eagerly placed their lips on hers. She moaned again and sank into their embrace even further-suddenly wrapping her arms around Ash's body. Ash's low slung belt and tight fitted pants did nothing to hide their arousal. I growled and snatched Harlee away.
"Is this truly what you want Mistress?" I asked her softly while Ash smirked at me. Harlee looked at me with clouded eyes. I twitched. She looked like she had been drugged.
"Zeev... Zeev, kiss me, please." She reached up and placed a hand on my face. "I need.." Harlee's eyes began to clear subtly and I could see her trying to figure out what was going on. I took the initiative, not waiting for orders. I grabbed her into my arms, and strode from the room. Ash was stubbornly chasing behind us.
"You have customers-attend to them." I instructed.
"Attend to this!" Ash said, grabbing at their crotch. "Put Harlee down! She said she didn't want to leave!" Ash yelled. Ash was drawing attention to us-probably the intent of the racket. I continued to walk towards the store entrance as Harlee shivered in my arms, Ash still following behind us. I needed to get away from all the eyes so I could get Harlee home. Harlee moaned, clutching her head.
"I'm so dizzy." She panted. "What's wrong with me?" I cast a glance over my shoulder at Ash who was smirking evilly at us.
"I'm not sure it's you Harlee." I replied softly
"Huh? What do you mean? Ugh-I can't think straight!" She gripped her temples tighter, as if trying to hold her head together.
"You there! Stop!" A security guard came puffing out in front of us.
"Oh God no-" Harlee whined. "Just leave me alone!" She suddenly screeched and everyone in the store froze except me and her.
"Ma'am? Are you ok?" The guard bustled over with a stun-gun extended at me.
"I'm FINE. I want to go home. This is my boyfriend. I got sick at work and he came to pick me up." Harlee snarled.
"Quite literally." Sneered Ash from behind us.
"Then why were you yelling to be left alone ma'am?" The security guard asked, stepping closer. I growled in warning.
"I was TALKING to YOU!" Harlee snapped.
"Are you under duress ma'am?" Flashing red and blue lights showed up behind the security guard.
"Harlee-how do you want to proceed?" I asked her calmly.
Harlee POV
Time slowed down for a moment or two Zeev ran through some less than ideal scenarios in my head.
"Don't expose yourself." I whispered softly. "I don't want you or anyone hurt if possible. Go quietly if they take you and I'll try to clear it up from this side. If you have the opportunity when everyone's looking the other way, come back for me. I don't even care anymore. We'll leave this country if we have to." I felt Zeev's assent through our link.
"Here we go." He said and things sped up quickly. He set me carefully on the ground, raising his hands above his head. My legs were still wobbly and weak and I clung to his shirt to steady myself. Four cops burst through the door with guns drawn and tackled him to the ground, shoving me aside roughly. I was suddenly scooped up by a pair of cool, thin, strong arms and pulled away to safety. The smell of burnt pumpkin surrounded me as the cops knelt on Zeev, holding him down while searching him for weapons, red-faced and yelling at him. I was screaming myself, trying to break free of Ash's wiry grasp.
'Be calm, Mistress, they cannot truly harm me.' Zeev spoke in my mind. It didn't matter, if he had been human, he would have been seriously hurt.
"You fucking jerks! He's my boyfriend! Let him go!" I screeched as they dragged him roughly up from the ground.
"Harlee!" Zeev yelled over my screeching. "Be careful. I love you." The cops shoved him out the door, while I raked at Ash's arms, trying to free myself. A cop came over to talk to me, asking me what had happened.
"You tell me, you goddamn idiot, why are you arresting my boyfriend?! It's because he's not white isn't it?!" I yelled.