Blood Moon's Tears

The aroma of pheromones mingled with the scent of beer, infiltrated Eirena’s nostrils as she swiftly downed another shot of vodka.

The bartender, Kenji, leaned forward, concern evident in his voice. “Another rough night, Sama?” he asked, sliding a shot glass of Tequila to a man a few seats down.

Sama raised an eyebrow, his expression unwavering as he replied, “Stop asking answers, Kenji.” With a composed demeanour, he emptied the shot glass in one fluid motion.

With an audible “Agh” accompanied by the glass emitting a distinguishable ‘clink’ as it collided with the polished surface of the bar; Sama slid the empty vessel back to the bartender, his eyes briefly following its path before lifting to observe the figure seated at the opposite end of the bar’s counter. Entranced by her captivating light grey eyes and her supple white skin, a faint smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. Sensing his attention, Eirena reciprocated the gesture before placing an order for another drink.

Interpreting her gesture as an invitation, Sama seized the opportunity.

“Two more shots of Tequila and a blood moon if you don’t mind Kenji.” He ordered before taking the stool next to Eirena. “Imma go out on a whim here and say that this your first time at the Fading Rose. Am I right?” The guy asked as he held a shot glass with the tips of his fingers before making eye contact with the brown-haired girl.

“You’re fricking kidding me. His scent… This bastard scent is similar to what we smelt that night. He sent the pack house a flame. But…He’s…Eriena, he’s our mate.” Her inner wolf informs her.

“Well, it’s official. I think Moon Goddess hates us.” She replied. Her mind focused on her wolf’s erratic emotions of hot and cold towards their newfound mate.

“You should answer before he gets suspicious.” Her wolf states in annoyance.

Eirena responded, her tone slightly teasing, “How can you be so sure it’s my first time here? Perhaps I’ve visited before, and you simply failed to notice me until now.”

“I acknowledge your point but that simply isn’t the case since I’m here every night and know the regulars by name and you, my dear are a new face.” He answers smugly.

Eirena, intrigued by his claim, issued a challenge, “Well since you want to be smug about it, name three people here right now.”

Sama, a hint of arrogance in his voice, responded, “Rai Kenji, the city’s magician by day and bartender by night. Makes the best Blood Moons around. Then in the corner to the far left, we have a pending couple to be Mo and Dante. I wouldn’t mess with Dante if I were you. He tends to have a habit of making people disappear…”

“Well if you ask me he sounds like the real magician here but anyway.” Eriena’s inner wolf interrupts.

“Now, if my math is correct that’s three people.” Sama finishes a bit cocky.

“Hmm. Interesting, maybe I should have been more specific but despite all of that you didn’t give the name of the person who came over to speak to me. The tall one with Hazel eyes.” Eirena stated with a bit of mischief lacing her voice.

Sama’s smirk widened as he revealed, “The name’s Sama’el Seth but you can call me Sama. What about you my enchanting acquaintance?”

“Eirena Izumi,” she responded, her voice carrying a soft allure.

Sama, intrigued by her presence, inquired, “So what is a lovely female like you doing at a bar this hour?”

Eirena let out a sigh, her voice tinged with a hint of weariness. “Escaping the confines of what one might call... life.”

Sama raised an eyebrow, contemplating her words. “I highly doubt that life’s so difficult but I relate to that in some aspect.”

Curiosity gleamed in Eirena’s eyes as she leaned closer. “Well, I’m curious as to what can have a guy like you develop an alcohol addiction to be here every night.”

Sama shrugged, a trace of vulnerability creeping into his expression. “I’m no alcoholic but I do suffer from insomnia and having a drink or two gets me buzzed enough so, by the time I reach home I pass out. Being a professional gamer doesn’t mean everything is easy.”

Eirena arched an eyebrow sceptically. “How can you say that, when all you do is twiddle your thumbs all day? If you ask me it does sound easy.”

Sama’s voice carried a hint of frustration. “I don’t expect you to understand. What do you do for a living, Miss Know-It-All?”

A mischievous smile played on Eirena’s lips as she responded, “I’m a collector but I game as a hobby. This is why I can say that you just have to twiddle your fingers for a while and you make money.”

Sama chuckled softly. “Yeah well, you don’t have gaming tournaments to worry about.” He let out a sigh. “It was fun chatting with you but I should get back home before the moon reaches its peak. Will I be seeing you again?”

Eirena’s response held a hint of mystery. “Maybe.”

Sama chuckled, a warm and genuine sound. “Well, you be safe.”

Without giving the girl a chance to respond he placed his money on the bar and left.

The following night Eirena found herself once again perched at the bar, her curiosity getting the better of her. “What exactly is a Blood Moon?” she inquired, turning her attention to Kenji.

Kenji shrugged, a playful glint in his eyes. “It’s a cocktail. That’s as much as I can tell you.”

Eirena smirked, enjoying their banter. “So, you don’t even know what you’re making. Got it.”

Kenji’s retort came swiftly. “You’re unsure whether or not you want to bang Sama. Got it.”

Eirena’s eyes widened, flustered. “I do not want to bang anyone!”

“Not yet. Get back to me when you’ve smelled him in heat.” Kenji responds, doubting her statement.

“I still wouldn’t want to bang him,” Eriena replied, rolling her eyes.

Sama’s voice cut through the conversation as he approached the bar. “Who’s banging who now? I feel like I’ve missed something important.”

Kenji couldn’t resist adding fuel to the fire. “Ask your little friend who she’s banging.”

Eirena threw her hands up in exasperation. “No one! I’m not banging anyone. Is he always like this?” She gestured towards the bartender.

Sama chuckled, leaning against the bar. “Only if you’ve provoked him.”

Eirena rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. “I see.”

Sama’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. “I’ve been meaning to ask, what are you exactly? Are you a human, or some other creature?”

Eirena leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I’m a werewolf.”

“Thank the goddess we would need to explain marking and shifting to her. Do you think she knows she’s our mate?” His inner wolf says to him.

Sama retorts a bit annoyed, “Of course, she does. She’s a werewolf like us. What kind of question is that?”

“Well, her scent is so faint that it’s almost human. So I had to ask. Maybe her class has something to do with it.” His wolf answers.

Sama raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Eirena’s response. “Oh? What class?”

Confusion flickered in Eirena’s eyes. “Class? What do you mean?”

Sama leaned in, a playful smile dancing on his lips. “Yeah, as in Omega, Beta, Alpha. You know, werewolf hierarchy.”

Eirena crossed her arms, a hint of defiance in her voice. “Why does it matter what class I am?”

Sama chuckled, his gaze steady. “Well, considering your pheromones are mixed with everyone else’s in here, I figured it would be polite to ask instead of just sniffing you.”

Eirena’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wait, you can smell me? You’re not supposed to be able to smell me.”

The bartender, Kenji, interjected, sliding a glass in front of Eirena, causing her to look at him. “You’re making it worse by panicking.”

Eirena looked down at the glass, her curiosity piqued. “What is this? It looks like blood.”

Kenji’s voice held a note of caution. “If you know what’s good for you, you’d drink it.”

Hesitant, Eirena took a few seconds to contemplate before finally downing the liquid.

She blinked, surprised by the taste. “It’s sweet.”

Sama chuckled, a hint of amusement in his voice. “Yeah, but you didn’t have to take it like a shot.”

Eirena glanced at him, her curiosity growing. “What was it?”

Sama leaned back, a playful glint in his eyes. “A Blood Moon. It helps suppress your pheromones for a while. The sweetness level indicates how strong your pheromones are. So, about that question...”

Eirena interrupted him gently. “You’ll know when I’m ready to tell you. I should leave now. You said it only lasts for a while, and that could mean anything from a few minutes to an hour. How about we play a game sometime, yeah?” She slid a piece of paper toward him. “How much was the drink, Kenji?”

Kenji waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. As long as you reach home safe, that’s good enough for me.”

Eirena nodded appreciatively. “Okay. See you.” She passed her hand down Sama’s back, a fleeting touch, before making her way toward the exit.

Sama’s eyes widened slightly as Eirena’s hand brushed against his back. A tingling sensation lingered in its wake, leaving him intrigued and wanting more. His inner wolf whimpered as the warmth from her hand left and he bit his bottom lip trying to compose himself.