SIX

If you run too fast, there's a good chance that you'll trip over. Or you'll crash, which was what happened to me. There was a small living room with a massive glazed balcony at the back of the house that was empty except for some chairs and a table: when I discovered the room, I couldn't help thinking that some orchids in pots scattered around would look beautiful, turning that place into a small greenhouse overlooking the back garden and swimming pool.

When I have something in my head, I mulling over it nonstop and finally, I decided to call a landscaping company on the outskirts of the city in order to ask if they had orchids; they had them in several colours and I just needed to go there and pick out my favourites. I'd promised the greenhouse guy to be there that evening and hated the thought of leaving him hanging so, despite the road was narrow and twisty, I stepped on the gas. Well, not that much. I'm a really cautious driver usually but I was driving fast enough to skip on a curve and slide over an embankment on one side of the road. The air bag went off and the blow stunned me for a few minutes till my head got clear and let me analyse the situation: I realized I wasn't' hurt, fortunately.

My first impulse was to jump out of the car but a big ass rock was blocking my door. The second impulse was to get rid of the seatbelt in order to reach the passenger's door but it was stuck so I decided to follow my third impulse: I extended my arms as far as I could, took the phone inside my bag and started to dial the emergency number. I was about pushing the key when I realized: if I called an ambulance, they'd take me to the hospital, doctors would check me out, they'd report the accident to police and the insurance company, they'd ask me questions... the usual stuff in such cases. I wouldn't mind to go through all that procedure under normal circumstances but I had to consider my new bosses situation: if they came to visit me to the hospital or if the insurance guy wanted to talk to them, they'd be very exposed to human contact, it'd be terribly awkward for them and they should erase a lot of memories. I thought better of it and dialled a different number, the only person I knew that would answer my call, the only person in that house that was an enthusiast for modern technology.

"Iselen, what's wrong?" she asked surprised but not especially anxious.

"Ruby, I've had a little accident..."

"What? Are you okay?" She cut me off abruptly and I heard the noise of chairs being dragged on the other side of the line.

"I'm okay, don't worry, I feel a bit dizzy. Listen, I went off the road and I'm stuck in a small embankment. I don't want to call the emergency service to be discreet since you're the owners of the car and it'd be awkward..."

"Where are you?" Terra's harsh tone of voice made me flinch... the vampire sounded like she was mad at me. I should've known that she'd be with Ruby and would hear the phone ringing. I answered reluctantly thinking that it would've been better for me if I'd call an ambulance.

"The greenhouse business card is pinned to the fridge door with a magnet. The address is noted down, I was almost there and but skidded in a sharp turn..."

"Yeah, I see you." I think I had a mini heart attack when I heard Terra's knuckles on my car window. I let the phone drop on my lap due to my surprise and stared at her with my mouth wide open in shock, how did she get there so fast? Damned vampires, they were going to kill me of terror somehow. I felt dizzy again...

"If you don't kill yourself before," she answered my thought while kicking away the rock I couldn't move.

"Could you please stop doing that? It's an invasion of my privacy." I growled angrily but a noise to my right startled me: Ruby was opening the passenger's door.

"It's not her fault, you were screaming your thoughts at the top of your lungs."

Terra got rid of my door lifting it off while Ruby pulled the seatbelt out of its anchoring and grabbed my bag and phone quickly. Before I could even move to get out of the car, I felt Terra's strong arms under my legs and around my waist... she lifted me like I weighed less that a feather, holding me tight against her chest and started walking towards the road ignoring my complains. I felt safe in her arms, she walked steadily and was holding me safely, I knew she wouldn't trip over. I leaned my forehead on her neck wearily and got relaxed till we arrived to the edge of the road, I hadn't realized how tense I was till that moment... the accident had affected me more than I thought. Ruby was walking next to us and, when I raised my head to look at her, I realized it was getting dark. I wouldn't be able to get my orchids that day.

"I can walk," I whispered. Actually, I didn't want her to release me but was trying to be polite.

"No," she answered with a harsh tone of voice holding me tighter. Ruby pointed at the road:

"Aren will be here with the car soon. Help her to get on the back seat while I explain him how to call a tow truck and what he should tell them."

She was right and the Viking arrived a few minutes later. I didn't understood how he was able to drive across the city so fast and at rush hour, when everybody was leaving their work and heading towards their home: I assumed that he was ordering every driver blocking his way to move away. But I didn't think that much about it, to be honest, because I felt groggy again and Terra was helping me to lie on the backseat, putting her jacket under my head, till Ruby came back and she sat next to me with my legs on her lap. Her sister got behind the wheel and turned the engine on: I knew we were moving very fast, I could feel it, although the car didn't swing drove by the firm hands of Terra like she was an expert racing driver. I got more relaxed, feeling safe, and started drifting off.

"No, Iselen, wake up." Ruby was shaking my shoulder gently and I couldn't help grimacing. "You can't sleep till we arrive home. I think you aren't seriously injured but we won't take any risk, we'll make sure you're okay the moment we arrive to the house and we'll give you a painkiller, all right?"

She looked up till meeting Terra's eyes on the rearview mirror and mumbled something that sounded similar to "it's about time." I didn't know what time they were talking about but when Ruby told me about the painkiller I realized that my entire body felt sore, above all my shoulders and neck. I moaned when feeling the pain and Ruby put her hand on my cheek trying to soothe me, her finger rubbed gently a little burn the airbag had caused on my jaw. She spent the rest of the drive whispering sweet nothings and touching me nonstop in order to make sure I didn't fall asleep and kept calm.

We arrived home and my feet didn't touch the ground once again: I travelled from the garage to my bed on Terra's arms, thanks God for her vampire strength... Ruby removed my boots and jeans with nimble fingers and brought me a wet towel to wipe sweat and traces of dust from the airbag away from my face while her sister went to the kitchen to take a glass for my medicine. I felt comfortable and relaxed in my bed despite my sore muscles, I closed my eyes for a minute when they turned their backs to me but Ruby shook my shoulder again to wake me up.

"Iselen, come on, drink this. It'll do you good, it's pomegranate and grape juice, your favourite. This way it won't taste... bitter." I drank the sweet reddish liquid without complaining because I was thirsty due to the shock and hadn't realized till that moment. I got relaxed on the mattress again while Ruby was stroking my hair, combing it slowly with her fingers... I experienced an odd déjà vu, I could've sworn something like that had happened already, but the pain was becoming dull and I felt exhausted. I fell asleep without noticing it and nobody shook my shoulder to wake me up again.

I opened my eyes hours later with my mouth dry: I needed water and didn't want to leave my bed but my tongue felt like sandpaper. I got up sleepy and stumbled towards the kitchen where I drank an entire glass of water without breathing before heaving a sigh relieved.

"How do you feel?" I heard Ruby behind me. She was sat on the island counter, Terra was standing next to her and both stared at me worried and cautiously.

"Fine, very well actually." I frowned. "I don't feel pain, whatever you've given me has worked perfectly. Where did you buy the painkillers?"

"Yeah... well..." they looked at each other, hesitating, and Ruby jumped from the island before walking closer to me. "Please, forgive us."

"What are you talking about?"

"We were worried about you and you didn't want to go to the hospital and besides, you were suffering... we could feel your pain and gave you the only thing we had at hand and able to heal you in a few hours. I'm sorry, honestly, we've done this without asking your permission first but we had good intentions."

"You mean..." They both nodded before I could even finish the sentence.

Blood... they had given me their blood. At first, I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown but nothing happened, maybe because they were messing with my mind again calming me down, but the truth is that I didn't think it was that bad. I wasn't going to turn into a vampire, some drops wouldn't make a difference and the medicine worked perfectly. I felt fine, without pain, well rested, even a bit euphoric. But nothing weird... well, yes... I felt closeness: I felt closer to Ruby and Terra, like we knew each other our entire lives and not only for a few weeks, like we were good friends. I felt happy because they were in front of me, I felt bound to them, I felt affection, attraction, like they were a magnet... I just wanted to hug them and never let them go.

'It's starting...'

"What's starting?" I asked Terra. She looked at me holding back a grin and got closer walking slowly till she was standing next to Ruby.

"I said nothing, Iselen," she whispered mischievously, a tone of voice I'd never heard before from her lips.

"Of course you did, I heard you..." I didn't understand their game but it wasn't the best moment for jokes right after my accident... I thought they would take it more seriously...

"I didn't say it out loud, honey, you've read my thoughts. It's normal because of the bond..."

"What bond? What are you talking about?" I raised my hands completely baffled.

Terra looked at Ruby, who nodded, before leaning her hand on my cheek suddenly, getting closer to me while I stepped back till touching the kitchen counter with my butt. Terra remained unfazed and moved forward, leaning her entire body against my side, her pelvis touched my hip in a very intimate way. I swallowed hard, feeling awkward and suffocating, and was about asking her to move away when she spoke.

"When vampires find their soulmate they bond with her. It's a connection that goes beyond the physical, it's something... spiritual. You can feel what your mate feels, you can hear what she's thinking when the mental link is opened, you can feel her even if she's miles away from you. When you drink her blood and she drinks yours, your souls meld: you're one being forever. All the vampires aspire to find their perfect partner but it's not easy, we live for centuries so we have to meet our significant other not only in the same room but at the same time of history. Some of us never get this special bond but those who are able to feel it become a perfect match, they complement each other..."

"That never happened with Terra and me, we never connected 100%. There was something odd, something failed, as if the link was broken from time to time. And we didn't know why... till you shook my hand." Ruby explained with a sweet smile, looking at me like I should understand what she was talking about but I had no clue and just shrugged. What had I to do with their relationship? Terra put some pressure on my cheek with her hand in order to catch my attention.

"The reason why our connection wasn't perfect is because we aren't a couple, Iselen, we're a threesome. You're the missing piece, the wire that makes energy flow between us... you've turned the switch on. It's uncommon, but it's not the first time this happens during the vampire history. I've been doing some research in my library..."

My ears heard the explanation but my mind was struggling to process the information, maybe because they were trying to calm me artificially manipulating me. When their story made its way through my brain cells I just shook my head anxiously. No, no, no... It couldn't be true, were they crazy? How it was possible that I had, not one, but two vampire girlfriends? I was a simple human, an awkward, weak and easy to scare one, it was impossible for me to deal with such a situation. It was ridiculous... I needed to undo the bond, would it be enough it I vomited the juice I'd drunk?

"You can't do that," Ruby told me even if I hadn't voiced my concerns out loud. "The bond can't be broken once it's done. You cannot control this, it's something... biological. We're trapped in this situation with you too. If you reject the bond, you'll only get hurt and we'll be suffering with you too."

No, no, no... I've said no. I shook my head nonstop... It couldn't be true, they were wrong. Moreover, I was a mess with relationships, I hadn't had long-term relationships and the longest one ended terribly. That wasn't happening to me, not with them. They were wonderful girls, beautiful, smart, funny, a perfect dream if you ignored the sucking blood matter. Okay, maybe one, but two? I didn't want to hurt them, it wasn't my intention, but the whole situation was crazy. How could it be true?

"Check it out," Terra challenged me with a harsh tone of voice.

She moved her face closer and kissed me, striking an electric spark when our skins touched and I got goose bumps feeling the energy. She moved her mouth over mine very slowly, gently, the tip of her tongue licking my lower lip. I gasped when feeling her hand on my waist moving me closer to her body, squeezing me against her pelvis and she took advantage of my bewilderment to shove her tongue in my mouth. With careful movements, sweetly, she licked my tongue till my legs got weak and I couldn't help moaning in her mouth. The sound seemed to awaken something inside her, something aggressive and dominant but needy too, and she deepened the kiss, her teeth nibbled at my lower lip before shoving her tongue deeper, like she wasn't able to reach further but needed more of my taste. The thought that kissing a vampire with fangs sharp as needles could be dangerous never crossed my mind.

Terra let me breathe finally, turning playful. Her tongue moved in and out of my mouth, teasing me, she licked my lips naughtily, nibbling and teasing but never kissing me deeply the way I craved. I licked her lips frustrated, shoving my tongue in her mouth. She let me kiss her for a while before catching the tip of my tongue with her teeth but being extremely careful with her sharp fangs, they were fully extended due to her arousal and didn't want to scratch my flesh. She pulled my tongue excruciatingly slowly in order to force me to stick it out of my mouth, tearing a surprised gasp from my throat that turned into a moan when I felt the tip of Ruby's tongue drawing circles on mine while Terra kept it extended for her. She was stuck to my other side the same way her sister was doing and her pelvis bucked against my hip involuntarily.

Terra released me finally but I couldn't catch my breath because Ruby was kissing me with passion. Our mouths were locked, our tongues danced, her lips sucked mines greedily. Her taste was different but equally exciting and I couldn't get enough of it, I was grasping the kitchen counter till my knuckles turned white because my legs were shaking... It was all that I could do to remain firm on my feet while Ruby's tongue swirled around mine and she finally pulled away with my bottom lip jammed between her teeth, looking right into my eyes.

The three of us were breathing heavily , our bodies stuck, their jeans grazed my bare legs and Ruby had clenched her hand in a fist grabbing my T-shirt on my waist like she feared that I could run away. And yet, my mind was trying to fight against the idea of that weird bond because it was hard for me to accept it.

"It's pretty clear that your body accepts it, amor." Terra whispered in my ear sending a shiver down my spine when I heard the word in Spanish. "We're vampires, don't you think we can smell it?" I looked back at her, confused. "Arousal, babe, your scent is driving me crazy..." she whispered again.

And that's when I felt it, blood beating between my legs, the heat that seemed to be running through my veins to my limbs, my throbbing core, my wet panties... Oh, fuck. I swallowed hard and nodded slowly. All right, there was something going on between us, at least it was lust and desire... but, was it a deeper feeling?