The Demon's Way

What the hell would the pups look like?



That was the first thing I could think of when I woke to realize that I had been mated to a hyena. I mean, I knew it was impossible since we were A) of the same gender and B) of different species, but it was the only thought in my head that didn’t hold that tingle thread of panic that really wanted to take over now that the human was firmly in charge again.



Annoying questions like “What happens to me now?” and “What if the hyena was the nicer personality?” kept popping into my head and making my heart pound too hard. I could usually take anything that was thrown at me, but I really did draw the line at being somebody’s sex-slave. But what could I do? The hyena was obviously larger, stronger, and faster than me, and I was sure the wolf would be in the back of my mind the whole time trying to convince me to submit when I really just wanted to run for it.



To make matters worse, my body was aching from being in a cage so long and then suddenly having to duel with a demon a lot stronger than I was. And the hyena hadn’t hurt me nearly as much as he could have, but he certainly hadn’t been gentle either. I felt like I’d been used as a cat toy.



But the worst part about the whole thing was probably the fact that I could hear the beast snoring at my back, and I knew in a matter of hours he’d wake up and I’d have to face the human that I was now practically enslaved to and recognize that the wolf wouldn’t let me alone about this. I could feel the wolf in the back of my mind and I knew that it was just as frightened of these changes as the human in me was, and that it was desperate for a pack. Desperate enough to make me submit to whatever the hyena wanted, be it rape or hunting humans. Maybe I was just afraid to realize that the human in me was probably just as desperate for acceptance as the wolf.

I’m going to use the past month of physical and emotional trauma as an excuse for why I broke down, but I was soon sobbing and whining and trying desperately not to wake the strange man beside me.



I failed, but it was probably for the best. A few minutes after I started sobbing I heard him stir behind me and soon felt a warm hand on my shoulder. He must have still been half asleep, but he pulled me toward him and nuzzled my neck, crooning soothingly. In another minute the animal sounds turned into the soft, comforting noises of a human as the man behind me fully awoke.



“Shh,” I heard him whisper behind me. “I know it hurts, but it’ll fade in a bit. There’s no need to get so upset.”



There was something warm and familiar in his voice that made turn. I found myself staring into a pair of painfully familiar brown eyes.



“X-Xander?”



“Long time no see, huh? I’d ask how you’ve been, but it’s pretty obvious that you’ve been better.”



“When did you become a hyena?”



“Oh. Um… well, actually, it was before I even met you. I got possessed by a hyena when I first met up with Buffy. We got rid of it, but when things got rough it came back and took full control.”



“So you’re like a were-hyena now?”



“Yeah, pretty much. Technically I’m a shiftable hyena demon, but it’s really the same thing. There’s some stipulation about you have to be bitten to be called a were-animal, but there’s no real difference. Still, it’s pretty cool, huh?”



“Weird would probably be a better word, but whatever.”



“Yeah, but nobody’s ever normal on the hellmouth, right?”



“A hyena-demon screwing a werewolf? I’d say that’s weird even for the hellmouth.”



“Well… yeah, I guess, but… uh… there’s something I should really talk to you about…”



“Clothes.”



“Huh?”



“You should talk to me about clothes. Specifically where I can get them,” I told him, pulling away slightly. Now that I knew it was Xander with me I was getting all these strange feelings. A part of me was fine being naked with him, especially after what we’d just done, but another part was getting confused and feeling like I was back in high school again. I was just waiting for a teacher to come in and start yelling.

Speaking of being confused, I realized suddenly that we weren’t in a cave or anything like what my wolf had thought last night. Instead, we were in a room with stone walls and no furniture except the mats that were, I assumed, covering up the stones on the floor. It was dim, with the only light coming from some candles lit on the walls, which must have been the reason my wolf had felt so at home. I, on the other hand, had a sudden feeling of claustrophobia.



“Where are we?”



“Well, see, that’s the thing. We’re in a castle that belongs to…”



“A castle? So we’re still in Europe?” I asked, pulling away from Xander and standing up. Now that I could fully see him, I noticed how different he seemed than the old Xander. That awkwardness that had practically defined the Xander I knew from high school was gone. His body, completely naked, showed no signs of the hyena he had been last night, but it looked strong and powerful nonetheless. He had the same broad shoulders and long legs as before, but it seemed almost like he knew how to use them better now, even from their position as he lay on the floor. He didn’t radiate dominance like alphas usually did, but he didn’t seem shy or submissive to me either. He was confident, but not domineering. I think it was that aspect of him that allowed me to ignore the wolf in my head and start looking for a way out. Even if this was Xander, or maybe it was because it was him, I didn’t want to stay here and be his bitch.



“Of course. How else would we have found you?”



“What were you doing in Europe?”



“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, if you’d just sit still and listen,” Xander said, and I could tell he was getting annoyed, but the wolf wasn’t in control anymore and I just wanted out of there.



“I don’t want to sit down. I just want to know where the door is,” I told him, starting to feel my war around the walls. There had to be a door somewhere.



“Look, Oz, you aren’t going anywhere and we don’t have a lot of time. I’d like to explain all this to you before…”



“Before what?” I asked, turning toward him. “Because I hate to tell you this, man, but I’m not sticking around. I’m outta here just as soon as I find a door,” I said, and resumed my search for the door. I knew there had to be one, how else would we have gotten in here? Unless they walled it up over night, which was possible in this situation.



“Where would you go? And what’s so goddamn bad about this situation anyhow?” Xander said, and I heard him go from annoyed to angry and upset, but I didn’t stop in my search.



“I’m not just going to roll over for you, Xander. I can’t control what the wolf does at night, but I’m my own man during the day. I’m not something that can be bought and sold, and I’m certainly not going to be your slave!”

“Oz, you’re getting this all wrong. You really need to hear me out…”



“No, what I need to do is find the damn door!” I snapped.



Everything happened in rapid succession after that. I realized that I had been standing right in front of the door the whole time, only there was no knob on the inside to indicate that. The door flew open and just barely managed to miss hitting my face.



“You’ve found the door, Puppy,” a deep, foreboding British voice told me. “But you’re not getting out.”



I backed up rapidly, tripping over my own feet and falling to the floor in front of Xander, never once taking my eyes off the figure in front of me.



“S-Spike?”



“Didn’t know if you’d remember me, pup. ‘S been so long since Sunnyhell. But, since you do remember me, we can skip the introductions, right?”



“What are you doing here?”



“Eh, me? I’m on vacation! Bein’ a Big Bad all the time was getting’ pretty boring, so I decided to take me a nice long rest in the old country. Even wanted to take a look at the local market, I did, and damned if I didn’t manage to find myself a new pet,” he said, leering at me predatorily. My blood went cold with the realization that Spike, not Xander, had purchased me. That meant that last night had been… fuck… had that been so Spike

could watch? Did Spike get some sick amusement out of seeing me humiliated?



“What’s wrong, Puppy?” Spike asked, stepping closer and letting the door close behind him. He leaned down in front of me and I realized just how starkly naked I was compared to the fully-clothed vampire. “You were barkin’ up a storm a second ago. I guess there’s no bite in that pretty little mouth.”



“Spike, knock it off,” Xander growled, pulling me against his chest. “I think you’ve proved your point. There’s no need to terrorize him.”



“Need my ass. ‘M just makin’ sure the little whelp isn’t gonna give you trouble.”



“He just got fucked by a demon, and possibly by a man, for the first time. I’d be going to freaksville myself.”



“Che. That’s no excuse for bad manners.”



“You’re one to talk!”



“Oi! I’ll have you know that I was trained by the finest teacher in London! I even drink my blood with my pinky up and all the rot.”



“Yeah, I really don’t think manners count when you’re eating someone.”



“Now that’s where you’re wrong. First rule in the Londoner’s Guide to Good Manners is that they always count, from ripping someone’s throat out to seducing virgins.”



“You just made that up!”



“Yeah. Anyway, now that we’re on the topic of seducing virgins…” Spike said, getting to his knees and leering at me. “How about I show you how mannerly I can be about it?”



“Fuck off, Spike,” I growled, backing even further into Xander’s chest in an attempt to get away from the vampire.



“I guess that rules out the easy way, then. ‘S cool. The hard way’s a lot more fun,” he said, grinning viciously, and before I even knew it he had revealed his true face and had a firm grip on my jugular.



The human in me went completely catatonic. The rational part of my brain just stood up, brushed off its hands, and walked out. My mental state started doing shots of vodka.



But the wolf in me recognized yet another dominant male, and submitted eagerly. Two animals couldn’t make a pack, it rationalized as best it could, but three could. It wasn’t terribly pleased at the prospect of being the lowest ranking in the hierarchy, but it wasn’t shocked. So it went limp and whined deep in my throat, letting the vampire know that we would submit.



But even the wolf freaked out when Spike pushed my legs apart and unzipped his pants.