Playing with fire

ALCOHOL AND SWEAT WAS THE ONLY SMELL HE COULD WHIFF UP.

Pushing the doors open with a slight force of his hand as he entered the room with power and dominance, with his long legs he took long strides, making his way to the bar ahead of him, the lights were dim and the smell of cigarettes was heavy.

Numerous eyes drilled holes at the back of his head as they stared, curiosity got the better of them.

Women stared him up and down hungrily. In his lifetime, never had he understood the female specimens... He had the kind of face that stopped you in your tracks. Something he never gotten used to, and he definitely wasn't gonna get used to it anytime soon. Grayson preferred to be invisible, but the sudden pause in a person's natural expression when they looked his way followed by overcompensating with a nonchalant gaze and a weak smile. Of course the blush that accompanied it was a dead give-away. It didn't help that he was so modest with it, it made the girls fall for him all the more.

Despite all the opportunity that came his way, he wasn't interested. Women was a troubling subject for him, he didn't really do the flirting and charming thing, never had to really.

"What can I get you handsome?" The women behind the bar spoke, catching his attention. Her skin, a beautiful chocolate with dark, mischievous brown eyes and short black hair.

For a minute Grayson didn't speak, the voice consumed his thoughts it kept nagging him, ushering the word 'Witch' on repeat, as it's voice became more dominant and over powering to his mind, it began to hurt his brain, causing a slight ache in his head.

"Whiskey."

He wanted to down the whisky, his attempt to drown the volume of its voice, it seemed his only goal at this point. It was unbearable to listen to it. It really did seem as if he couldn't get away from everything, not even the beast that lingered within his own mind, it never left him alone... It was suffocating.

There were times he felt like the world was slowly disappearing in front of him. Or maybe it was just him who was fading away. Those moments, it didn't matter anyway. Because his empty burning lungs and his heart hitting his chest so hard he thought it will break his ribs and rip apart his skin was the only thing he could think about. And the void. The black hole in his head, deep inside his soul, slowly swallowing all his hopes and dreams of ever being free and untroubled by the world around him. That was the worst of those moments. The realisation of the vacuum, the nothingness, the absurd of his existence.

Those times kept him awake and made him wonder: 'What am I living for anyways?' Maybe it was for himself. Maybe it was for others? His friends. But did it really matter though? And he couldn't find the answer he so desperately craved for, for once things would make sense but they never did.

He just continued to stare at the same spot were his hands laid, as anxiety consumed him once more.

With a slight ting the glass collided with the wood as gravity push it down unable to hold its weight.

" So... Where you from?" 'None of your fucking business.' Would've been his immediate reply, but it never left his mind.

What's it to her, why did she have to ruin his night by asking questions? Her friendly question angered the beast that lingered within him. It hated to of been questioned of it's intention or purpose.

"Everywhere," 'Wow that's what you came up with' the voice laugh within his mind mockingly.

'Everywhere,' he felt lame, but no matter how lame he felt, there wasn't a need to justify his answer. Grayson didn't need to prove anything to this stranger, to this women.

"Everywhere? huh, that's a new one-" clinking of glasses being moved at one place to another, as silence etched the air around them, as minutes pasted .

"Your not much of a talker are you?" Another question was thrown at him, what it is with the question today?

He took a sip of his whiskey, swallowing it slowly letting it run down his throat, as it left a burning sensation staining his insides, maybe this drink could help him to loosen up a little.

"What you looking for here?" She's a curious one, isn't she? He thought.

"What do you mean? I'm just passing by sweetheart" He shrugged her off, unbothered by her attempts of knowing more about him.

"People don't just pass by here, they come here for a purpose." She simply said. Her brown eyes held something within them, something that he didn't know, he couldn't figure out.

"So what's your purpose here?" She continued, still keeping her attention on his.

"My purpose? Now why would I tell you what I'm here for?" Her bold confidence, intrigue Grayson, there was something about the women in front of him that he could figure out. What was it? A feeling? But what?

"What would be the fun in that?" He continued.

Her slight glare at him sucked something out of Grayson. He visibly wilted before his first clipped words was uttered. Grayson was known for his straightforwardness, but most of the time it got him into trouble rather than out of it. He was trying a different approach.

"Alright, I'll tell but you won't like it" She raised an eyebrow at the man before her, who was he? It frightened her that she couldn't read his mind, yet she felt compelled by him.

"Try me"

"I'm here for someone like you sweetheart" He could be a smooth talker when he wanted to be.

"Me?" The shock was vivid in her eyes, she hadn't expected that. What could she give him, that he wanted? She hoped for clarification, which he gave her.

"I would like to make a deal with you-" he leaned in slightly closer, grabbing her attention all the more, uttering the word "witch."

Her brown eyes held shock, as they widen in size, her pupils almost, almost popped out of their sockets. How did he know? She'd casted a spell over her, to prevent anyone from knowing, she would've know if he broke her spell she'd casted. Who was he?

Silence. The only noise was, glasses clinking and chatter got louder as there was nothing between the two but an intense stare was thrown his way from the minute he had said the five word, she just stared, stared with a blank face, the emotions of happiness and flirtation had gone in a split second, the curiosity and infatuation of him was replaced with a slight fear.

The once glowing smile that lingered a couple of seconds ago on her face had left as it was replaced with a deep frown.

'Who was this guy?' she thought, no one here knew of her, there were only humans in here. She didn't blink once, neither did Grayson it was a staring competition as to who will back down first, Why? He didn't even know why he was suddenly in a staring compilation, who would win? The beast kept nagging him not to back down, was Its voice demanding and annoying? yes- for some odd reason even he didn't want to back down, feeling that it was a way of showing her that he was the dominant one. A small breath of defeat escaped her red stained lips, defeated in her own game.

"Who are you?" she simply asked.

A simple enough question for anyone... but for him, it was more difficult to answer. He didn't know who he was really, he only went by Grayson because that was the only name given to him by Marcel since he was young, he knew nothing about his real name or origin, or even parents...

"I go by Grayson" he simply said It was true in fact, no lie. His wasn't one to lie.

She stared, silenced once more took over as she sucked in the information for a second, even knowing his name, didn't seem to gain her access to his mind.

'What the hell?' She wanted a proper name, it would've made it easier, she needed his full to cast her spell.

"What no last name?" She teased not really satisfied with his reply, yet wanting more information. She was definitely intrigued as she studied the man before her as she waited for an answer. But a simple shrug was returned.

Grayson didn't really want to explain to a Witch his reason for no last name, it wasn't his fault that he didn't know his last name or if he even had one. Marcel never include that information when he was given his a name.

"What do you want from me?" She suddenly snapped, a question he had expected to be asked.

"Your help."

"Why would I help you?" Suspicion lingered in her tone, she had a point why would she help him freely?

Everything came at a price, everyone knew that but I don't think he did. Silence once again lingered as he thought over her question Why would she wanna help him? She didn't know him, he was a stranger to her. What did he have to offer her? Well, nothing but the only thing that would make her help him was... It was his only move he had to make her wanna help him.

"Well, it's simple, I have the ability to kill you." He watched as her face suddenly dropped. Horror was visible, her eyes held fear, she looked at him, her breathing began to become heavy and her hands shook at her side as she just stood there. Shocked. Scared.

"How do you know of me?" Each word that spoke out was shaky, hesitant. And suspicious.

"I could smell you a mile away" It was... in fact true, all supernatural beings and humans have a distinctive smell that was a dead give away, It was hard to cover their natural scent as it was a way for supernatural beings like him to know what they were. Especially werewolves.

The shock was clear on her features as she gathered the information.

"You're a werewolf-" Puzzled as she thought things through.

"But I would have known-" She was cut off once again by him.

"I'm something around those lines." He didn't want to elaborate any further.

"What are you?" Curiously she asked, to say she was intrigued was an understatement, if he was a werewolf he hides his scent well, not many had control over that, she couldn't quite figure it out but how he mustered it, god knows but it did cause a spark of curiosity.

"Does it matter?" Grabbing the whiskey and gulping another mouthful of the bitter liquid in his glass.

"Yes" Frustrated by the fact that she was getting nowhere with him, not satisfied with his answers. She wanted to know what she was getting herself into, she was a woman who thought things through rather than going with the flow. It was for her own safety, she didn't trust anyone.

Patience wasn't something he had, it was his greatest flaw. Even Marcel had kept calling him out on it, even gave him a nickname. 'Hot head.' He loathed it, he would mock him with that name every time, every time he would rebel or not get what he wants. His eyes darkened, frustration was slowly build up within the bottom pit of his stomach, making its way to the surface, he was bluffing when he had threatened the girl's life but was there another way to convince her to help him beside asking her, if there was then he defiantly aware of it. His way of life was completely different to the norm, life has taught him its true darkest side.

He was desperate for answers. Really desperate. And that desperation what etched in his tone. He needs a way to stop all of this, he needed it to stop. The pain. He couldn't lose any more people he cared about, he just couldn't. He had lost enough.

No way she would even consider helping just out of the goodness of her heart, so he did what he had too.

"It seems like you are asking for your own death." It was no secret that he has killed before and he would simply do it again. Desperation makes you do many things.

"What? No!" Sipping his last gulp of whiskey before swiftly rising off his stool, roughly placing his glass down with a clink! as the wood came in contact with the glass.

"If you need reassurance, I'm a man of my word if you help me I shall spare your life-" moving out of his stool and stood behind it.

"But if you don't, I will kill." She believed him though, his bluntness had her worried.

"I just don't get it, Why me? What could I possibly offer you?" She questioned. She was beyond confused, she understands why many came to her, but she had left that part of her life behind, after what happened-

"Everything. I'm bored of this. Are you or are you not going to help me?" Arching his eyebrow, his patience level dropping just like the thermometer did.

"Fine." A sigh left her as she debated on whether she could trust this stranger, wiriness held her bounded, she didn't know anything about this man, but there was a nagging feeling that just kept telling her to help him.

"Just wait until I close up, and then I will be able to help you" He was relieved, relived because he wanted answers, and now he was going to get them. Maybe things were looking up for him.

"Very well then."Taking a seat back on his stool.