Chapter 2: The GigGoddess

Sophie & Ilaria

11:30 PM, Club Tropic, Miami Beach

Sophie stood with her friends out on Collins Avenue. Feeling the effects of the gummies they had eaten an hour ago, the small group chatted and giggled while a soft October breeze caressed their skin.

Gazing up into the night sky, Ilaria sat close by with her back to Sophie. The majestic brown haired wolf looked entirely out of place on the dirty sidewalk.

Sophie glanced up. Framed by swaying palm fronds, the crescent moon hovered above. It was a peaceful sight.

Ilaria craned her neck back to look at Sophie. Lines blurred between the two of them for a moment, filling Sophie’s mind with Ilaria’s thoughts. ‘What are we doing here?’ the wolf asked, plainly frustrated.

Sophie didn’t answer. She didn’t need to. The question was rhetorical, and Ilaria knew Sophie’s mind anyway.

Ilaria had been discontent with their lives lately. A year ago, they had been each other’s best friend. But then it happened.

That one awful night had changed everything, and now they were no longer sure who they were to one another.

Sophie had no answers. All she knew was that these contracts were paying the bills. While these gigs were terrible, they were also thrilling. They filled her with wild emotions that she felt drawn to in ways she didn’t understand.

And this particular gig paid a full Bitcoin. Last she checked, one BTC was worth about $16,000. With how volatile the BTC market was, it could be worth $60,000 next week. That was money she could use.

There was more to it too.

The last few gigs had happened in dark Miami alleyways and remote South Florida estates. She had stolen a USB drive, a gigantic blue sapphire, and scared off a very odd creature. With her new abilities, it had all been easy for her.

She was anxious to see what more she could do. But she was also worried what would happen if Ilaria had to take over completely again. The few times that had happened had been highly emotional. Her memories of those transitions were unclear.

This job was much bigger than the others. It paid a lot more and required her to earn the confidence of this “imp,” or whatever that thing was inside the club. The gig’s description went on to explain that gaining the imp’s confidence, meant becoming its “friend.” Whatever that meant.

She had taken the gig more out of curiosity than anything else. It kind of felt like she was becoming a spy, which excited her. Although, she would only go so far in terms of becoming the imp’s friend.

The way she saw it, if she couldn’t follow-through with it, then she just wouldn’t get paid. True, it would probably ruin her profile’s reputation. But if that happened, she would figure it out.

Ilaria felt these gigs were beneath them and demeaning. Sophie was beginning to understand that If Ilaria felt a certain way about something, then she must think the same thing too.

“Should we go in?” Lila, one of her friends, asked. The question pulled Sophie from her reverie. She turned to see all three girls looking at her expectantly. She checked her watch, 11:30 PM.

Sophie took a deep breath, nodding.

“Everything okay, sweetie?” Mercedes asked with a touch of concern in her voice. “You’ve been acting a little…. off, all night.”

“Yeah, yeah, that gummy was strong,” Sophie replied, flashing her smile at the three girls. That got a laugh and a lot of nodded agreement. They waited for Sophie to take the lead.

Even though it was Tuesday, the three girls couldn’t say no to an invitation from Sophie to go out clubbing. She was their free ticket into the clubs, and the key to a lot of free drinks. They’d pay the price in the morning when they went to work. But it was a price they were willing to pay.

Sophie turned and made her way to the roped off entrance of Club Tropic, her three friends trailing closely behind. She didn’t bother getting in line, instead walking straight up to the bulky bouncer standing behind the velvet rope.

The bouncer looked her over. She wore a soft lavender dress with thin shoulder straps that connected with a clasp in the back. The dress ended mid-thigh, and its conforming fabric and low cut top showed off the ample curves of her breasts.

Questioning the white sneakers she wore, he did linger on them for a moment. Heels just didn’t work for Sophie.

But then he looked back up at her face. She knew the dress brought out the purple flecks in her eyes. Her tight finger curls were killer too. They always drew a lot of attention, along with a lot of unwanted touching.

She had a full arsenal of sexy weapons that worked on—quite literally—everyone.

She sealed the deal with her smile. The bouncer nodded and unclipped the rope, letting all four of them in. After checking her ID, the guy collecting cover charges waved Sophie and her friends through without taking the money she offered. Hot girls were a currency to nightclubs.

Manipulating people wasn’t difficult for Sophie. What she was missing was anything akin to a genuine relationship. People could never get past the way she looked. Men lusted over her, but she’d never had a true boyfriend.

While she liked Lila, Mercedes, and Sydney, she always put on a face around them. She never confided in them. They never had real conversations. It felt more like a partnership with the three girls than anything else.

She had always had Ilaria. Granted, nobody else could see the giant wolf that shadowed her every move. Throughout much of her life, Sophie hadn’t even been sure if Ilaria was real. Ilaria had even questioned her own reality at times.

However, after the things that had happened over the last year, the reality of their existence had transformed. Neither of them questioned whether Ilaria was imaginary anymore.

Instead, it was a question of what separated them. When the lines blurred, they became one in the same. They seemed to start merging everytime Sophie got emotional about anything. Hunger even triggered it, and that happened a lot these days.

When the lines separating the two of them blurred, it was hard for her to even think straight. It got embarrassing, especially when it came to food. When the aroma of garlic, truffles, or any strong spice hit her nose, it was all she could think about. The smell of cooking meat drove her wild.

She ate so much that she should have ballooned out. Instead, with little effort, she had the physique of a professional athlete. When she looked at herself naked in the mirror, she was amazed by the toned definition of her stomach and the rest of her body.

She hadn’t become overly muscled, maintaining her soft voluptuous curves. But there was no doubt that she was much stronger and faster than she should be. She was more limber and flexible too. Stretching frequently, she found herself cartwheeling, tumbling, and doing other arbitrary acrobatics through her apartment, just because it felt good.

Clothing felt more restrictive than before too. She had even stopped wearing a bra. With how perky her breasts were, there really was no need. And the few times Ilaria had taken over entirely, it had felt like they were capable of anything. Freedom in all forms felt critical in those moments.

Despite her foggy memories, the resounding feeling of being liberated lingered.

Sophie didn’t understand that well enough yet, though. There was no way to test what they could do when they completely shifted together. It only ever seemed to happen under the most extreme circumstances.

Lost in thought, Sophie absently continued down the hallway to the main club area. When she stopped at the entryway of the main room, Ilaria padded up beside her. Ilaria stood at eye level with Sophie. While Sophie wasn’t particularly tall at 5’5, the wolf was huge at that height.

Searching for something, Ilaria’s ears faced forward, her deep purple eyes stared intently out into the club. Sensing the same thing Ilaria did, Sophie lifted her head to look out into the club.