REND

“Sit here,” I said, pulling out one of the chairs by the dining table. Deen had a quizzical look, her hands on her hips. Before she could ask, I explained, “You’re too tall, duh. Even if I stand on tiptoes, I can’t reach your ear. What do you expect me to do? Stand on this chair? You sit here.”

“Whatever.” Deen shrugged. “It would’ve been funny if you climbed—”

“Sit!”

“I’m not your pet,” she grumbled but obeyed my command. I stood behind her. The chair had a low backrest, unlike the more traditional design. Looking behind her, she said, “By the way, do you want a pet?

“Are you volunteering yourself?” I asked incredulously.

“No! Where did you get that idea? I’m just asking if you want, like maybe, a dog?”

“I don’t want the responsibility of taking care of another life form.” I poked Deen’s cheek, pushing her to look ahead. “And stop it with those delaying tactics. I’m on to you.”

“I’m not delaying,” she replied. “Just honestly wondering if you’ll like a pet. You’ll look cute with a dog. Maybe a black Lab; it’ll match your hair.”

“You’re getting carried away thinking I’m a doll.” I gathered Deen’s lush golden locks, pausing for a second to wonder what expensive hair products she used, and bunched them right, draping them over her shoulders. Then I gripped her arms tight, pressing them against her body to hold her in place.

Deen tilted her head while still facing forward. “Um, I’m not going to run away.”

“What if… I’m going to take a bite out of you,” I mischievously asked. “Like an actual bite? Maybe I’ll transform into Blanchette and bite you?” I couldn’t do that, of course, since I used both hands to hold her. Not that I’d follow through with it even if I could—I was in control and was making full use of this sanctioned opportunity to mess with Deen.

“Gabe would warn me,” she said matter-factly.

“What if I waited for like ten minutes or whatever, just holding on to you, and then bit you?”

“I’m sure Gabe will help me find a way out.” Deen leaned her head back, looking up at me upside down. “But let’s say I can’t, and you actually bite me—I’ll forgive you. You’re my best friend, and I’ll understand—”

“I’m just messing around, jeez,” I said, making a face at her. “You don’t have to be so serious.” I let go of her arms and tilted her head back down. “Let’s start, I guess? Kinda weird to say that out loud, but I’m not sure—oh, well. Here we go.”

I bent down to her ear, my brain cells collectively wondering, What the fuck am I doing?

But I couldn’t back out now. I didn’t want to lose! I should go ahead; it’d work out once I started. Not knowing what to do, I stupidly blew on Deen’s ear as if it was hot food. She shivered, letting out a hilarious pip.

“Did that tickle you?” I asked, giggling. I blew again, this time straight into her ear.

“What are you doing?” She leaned right, waving at me as if I was a mosquito. “Are you going to bite me or not?” She was trying to keep her voice from cracking. She gave me a sidelong glance, her cheeks turning pink. “You’re the one delaying. Can’t bite your friend’s ear?”

I narrowed my eyes. “I can do it.”

I moved closer. She smelled nice. And expensive—I could tell from a whiff. Okay, I’m the weird one. That might’ve been fine if I was in Blanchette form smelling Deen; at least I could blame my predator’s instincts then.

Fuck this shit. I took the upper curve of Deen’s ear between my lips. She sharply breathed. Then I licked it. Didn’t taste like anything. Just bland nothingness. I thought it would be sweet because Deen smelled like cotton candy, but that was a dumbass assumption. Humans weren’t sugar. Could be salty if sweaty, I guess.

As Blanchette, I could detect notes in human flesh I couldn’t as Erind. A mild taste and no gaminess. But it was mostly masked by the metallic taste of blood.

Why am I licking Deen? I wasn’t supposed to make this pleasurable.

I bit her ear. Gently. I wasn’t interested in making her bleed. Despite teasing her earlier, I had no plans of eating any part of her.

No reaction from my teeth scraping her skin. I bit down harder. Deen jumped a bit. I roughly nibbled the top of her ear.

“Hmmm?” I felt Deen’s hand on top of my head. She pushed me down, guiding me to her earlobe as she turned her head to the right. This bitch! She thought I was going to copy what she did to me.

Fine then. I could play that game. Whatever she did to me, I could do better. That’d show her.

I nibbled on her earlobe. Deen let out a sigh of contentment. I moved on to licking. It was amusing how the earlobe was so soft and jiggly. But I wasn’t going to stop there. I removed her hand from my head.

She let out a squeak of protest, but I parried her hand away. I wasn’t going to let her be in control.

I held the right side of Deen’s head as I twirled my tongue in her right ear like a helicopter rotor. Deeper and deeper, I gradually went as if her ear was a drain. Soon, my lips and nose squeezed against her ear as I buried my tongue deep.

Deen breathed noisily in short huffs. Shudders coursed through her body as I held her. She feebly tried to pull away a couple of times, but I firmly pushed her head to my mouth. Her heart pounded so hard that the veins in her head throbbed with it.

I could feel the heat from her skin. Or maybe that was just because the two of us were pressed together.

My weirdo of a best friend was getting turned on. Like seriously.

And when Deen started moaning, I knew I had won. I surfaced from her ear to allow myself a grin. Deen’s cheek smoldered red, and she was breathing heavily. She concentrated on looking forward, clearly too embarrassed to gaze my way.

Neither of us said anything. I didn’t even tease her about moaning. Let her stew.

I had no idea what could be going through her mind, but as for me, I relished my total victory and the satisfaction of having control. I had power over Deen—such a nice feeling to have.

In the same way that I craved Blanchette’s overwhelming power, especially her crushing jaws, I was getting addicted to controlling Deen with pleasure. I had always enjoyed manipulating people from the side without their knowing. A whole new experience directly controlling people.

And there was the irony that Deen was miles more attractive than me—conventional thinking would say that sexual manipulation should be her specialty. But the reverse was happening.

She’s like putty in my hands… or tongue, I smugly thought. Somehow, in a position of power, I didn’t find close contact with another person that revolting. I wasn’t the doll—Deen was the doll. And I controlled her.

I bet I could escalate this, and Deen wouldn’t stop me. She was evidently enjoying it. She didn’t even stand up from her chair, still angling her head right, expectantly displaying her ear. I brushed a few strands of her blonde hair out of the way as I lowered my head.

Deen held her breath.

But instead of returning to her ear, I kissed her neck.

“Erind!” she gasped in surprise. “Wha-what are you… mhmmm…” Her question trailed to a hesitant whimper as I drew circles on her neck with my tongue.

My lips felt the warmth of her skin and her racing heart. There was a slight saltiness in my first lick that became the taste of my saliva as I covered her skin with it. Deen laced her fingers into mine that cradled her cheek. I didn’t stop her. And with her other hand, she pulled my head closer.

I went lower and lower down her neck, alternating kissing and licking. I mixed in nibbles and stronger bites too. Deen would jerk if I buried my teeth into her skin. I pulled at the neckline of her shirt to expose her shoulder.

“Erind… I-I don’t think…”

Ringing. Both of us jolted. It was my phone’s ringtone.

As I stood straight, I passed a whisper to her ear. “Weirdo pervert.”

“Erind! That was—no, I’m not a pervert.”

“Yes, you are!” I yelled as I strode to my room, looking for my phone.

A furiously red Deen followed after me, stammering an explanation. “It was just, ju-just… You shouldn’t have done that. That was—”

“Shush! It’s Mom calling,” I said, bringing my phone to my ear.

“Why did you do that to me?” She mustered up embarrassed anger. “Why did you—?”

“Hi, Mom!” I loudly said. “Are you boarding your flight now?” I stuck out my tongue at Deen as she glared at me. She stomped out of the room.