THIRTY-FOUR

Dario had told me he had a beautiful house with a garden near Paris and he didn't lie, actually, but the garden was way bigger than I ever imagined, with a romantic park in an English style and a French geometrical area, and the house was a small palace with golden stone walls and a slate roof. Not to mention the wonderful stables, the fountains styled after Versailles and a big artificial lake between two hills. The château belonged to a noble family that built it back in the 17th century on top of the ruins of a medieval fortress, our friend bought it in the mid-19th century and had renovated it several times, it had all the necessary and modern amenities but it was also full of antiques and valuable works of art. It was very different from Marcus' house in Naples but beautiful too and stored all his prized possessions.

I needed several days to fully explore it, marvelling at fancy rooms, crystal chandeliers, porcelain china, bronze clocks, colourful tapestries and fine wood desks. I'd always wanted to sleep in a four-poster bed with a blue silk canopy and I could do it thanks to Dario. Sometimes I sought refuge in the library, the orangery or walking with Vera through the gardens while my mates and Aren spent some quality time with their father. Marcus didn't seem to take John's death that bad, I guess he knew it was inevitable deep inside, but it wasn't easy to accept it anyways. It was true that Ruby and Terra had barely lived together with their brother but my father-in-law had travelled with John for many centuries till Aren bumped into them during a Viking raid.

Thanks to our conversations while eating delicious dinners Dario's housekeeper made for us, I understood that Marcus had lived with a different John: funny, relaxed, he loved fancy clothes and good wines, an educated man who was able to have a conversation about any subject, maybe a bit stuck-up sometimes and too obsessed with order, but he wasn't the crazy guy who tried to kill me after losing his mate. My father-in-law preferred to remember the good moments they'd spent together, forgetting about fights and homophobic comments that had hurt Ruby so much, and my girl smiled and nodded because she loved her blood father and was ready to put all that drama behind her.

Marcus felt better after getting his sorrow off his chest for a few days and remembered his hosting skills helping Dario to plan our holydays: we visited Paris and museums, parks, churches, palaces, the Eiffel Tower and Versailles, we had dinner in fancy restaurants and Ruby dragged Vera and me to a shopping spree in luxury stores. Later, Terra took me to some auction houses in order to buy antiques to replace the ones the wolves destroyed; luckily, we were able to salvage some stuff and restore lot of things and my girl's books remained untouched. I picked out some pieces of furniture and lamps guided by what I liked the most not caring about the cost or the description printed on the attached tag, perks of buying with an unlimited budget, till Dario sat down next to me one evening offering me a glass of wine.

"You have good taste..." He tilted his head to point at the Empire style chairs I had bought a few hours before.

"I studied Art History which means I know a little about decorative styles, materials, carving quality..." I answered shrugging.

"I understand but that's a general knowledge, you aren't an expert in antique furniture and yet, you've picked out good stuff. You haven't bought the most expensive things by default but those that are suitable for your house, stuff that suits your mates' taste too, every piece has been carefully chosen for a specific room or a corner of the corridor... And you've done it instinctively... Why don't you work with me?"

"Sorry, what?" I asked confused.

"I know you love taking care of Terra and Ruby and will be their housekeeper for many years, cooking for them and all that, but you're a vampire now and will work faster. What are you going to do with your free time? Are you going to grow orchids in the balcony? You can take a look at auction houses in America, buying special and unique antiques, you don't even need to travel since you can bid online nowadays."

"But I don't know your vampire clients' preferences or what your taste is," I frowned anxiously. I knew Dario helped some members of the Council and other friends to buy antiques from the time they were born into a new life to furnish their houses and he specialized in finding old souvenirs lost by them because of their frequent moves, wars, revolutions, robberies, etc. His job was fascinating for an historian like me but I didn't have his knowledge and didn't believe I'd be able to do it as well as he did. "I wouldn't know how to start a personal collection like the ones Marcus and you have, I mean, I'm interested in everything, I couldn't buy only clocks or postcards... It'd be a chaos."

"You can buy whatever you want, Iselen, I trust you. You'll do a great job... Think about all the Art Decó furniture from Victorian houses in USA and Canada, the Spanish style works of art from a Peruvian ranch or carpets and lamps from a Mexican baroque palace... Not to mention the Native American art in the whole continent. You could find wonderful things..."

My girls thought it was a good idea when I told them. I really needed a hobby apart from cooking, sharing recipes with Marcus and Dario's housekeepers, training with Vera, going shopping with Ruby or visiting museums with Terra. I knew we'd travel often but we'd also spend calmer time at home and my friend would be busy with her stuff: Vera had decided to hire a manager to run her gym in LA while she worked in our home office with Aren and planned to open another one in Malibu, the first of many to come till building a fitness empire.

"Marcus seems to feel better," I said while walking through living rooms decorated with raspberry coloured silk and galleries with artistically carved ceilings heading to our bedroom. It was almost dawn and we'd had delicious cheese with nuts bread and Burgundy wine for dinner with colourful macarons for dessert. My father-in-law hugged Vera and me, told us that we were beautiful vampires and that we'd be a happy family for centuries. Dario suggested holding a party to celebrate it but inviting only people we liked, like Mara and princess Luyuan for example, and Marcus stayed with him in the dining room discussing the guest list and the menu with the housekeeper. I told them to invite Dominique and Marianne, Ruby's friends were really nice and interesting vampires despite our dinner ended up being a mess because of Giulio. When I left finally, they were talking about fireworks in the garden before winter weather made it impossible.

"His death has hit Marcus pretty hard, I can assure you that, but he's also a soldier, a survivor, he knows that move on and look forward is the best thing he could do... Staying stuck in the past and getting more and more depressed is dangerous for vampires, this is how the decline that leads to suicide starts for them... Don't worry," Terra shook her head smiling. "Marcus isn't that bad, nowhere near that situation. Everything will be all right, amor, I promise."

"Don't you fear werewolves will take reprisals against us? I think you killed at least half of their pack..." I whispered worried walking into the bedroom and taking my jacket off: Paris looked gorgeous in autumn but was a bit cold.

"I don't think so, they'll focus on licking their wounds and taking care of their families. It's their fault because they believed those idiot's lies... Attacking a house where five vampires live is crazy. Did they really believe they had a chance of defeating us? Besides, what was the purpose of the fight? Maybe they wanted to steal our works of arts and jewels because, otherwise, it doesn't make any sense..." My girls started taking their clothes off and I went to the bathroom to wash my teeth while still thinking about the consequences the attack could have for us, I was concerned they'd want to take revenge on us eventually despite my vampires seemed quite calmed about it and I was also thinking about those poor wolf cubs that lost their parents because of John and his stupid hate.

"Ruby, what did you do with the corpses?" I asked getting into the room tying up my dressing gown belt. "You never told me what you did with Giulio..."

"Oh, that asshole, I almost forgot him..." My girl scrunched her nose disgusted. "We get rid of the bodies in a waste incinerator and manipulate the workers' minds so they won't remember us, we delete security footage and all that jazz too... It's the best way to avoid leaving a trace of our presence there."

"Oh wow, I never imagined something like that." I blinked surprised. "I thought you buried them in a forest or threw them to the ocean... I don't know..."

"Babe, please, why don't you stop thinking about werewolves' death bodies and pay a little attention to me? You've been talking to Vera and Ruby during dinner and have barely looked at me except when you wanted me to pour you more wine." Terra whispered pouting, hugging my waist with her strong tattooed arms, and I frowned confused by the abrupt change of subject although I smiled mischievously only one second later.

"I'm so sorry, my love, I should be embarrassed. It's an unforgivable mistake not to pay attention to you..." I purred pushing her unbuttoned shirt away with my fingertips, sliding it down her shoulders till it fell crumpled around her elbows and her soft breasts were exposed before my eyes.

"It really is," she growled pretending to be angry and I couldn't help chuckling.

"I apologize..." I whispered cupping her breasts with my hands, following the outline of her tattoos slowly, pinching her nipples till I heard her holding her breath.

"Is that true? Are you sorry?" she asked releasing me to be able to get rid of her shirt and jeans at vampire speed while I took my dressing gown off and dropped it on the floor.

"Terribly sorry," I assured her brushing her lips with my mouth while she smiled amused and hugged my waist again. The warmth of her skin against mine felt really good and I sighed staring at her, mesmerized, her facial structure was so perfect it could've been drawn by a sculpture artist instead of Mother Nature.

"Show me how sorry you are..."she answered stepping back all of a sudden and falling on the mattress, dragging me with her till I was sat on her lap straddling her hips.

"I'm so sorry, babe..." I whispered before melding my mouth with hers, Terra's tongue swirled around mine while her hands touched my back forcing me to stick closer to her body, kissing me deeply and taking my breath away... Well, I was a vampire and didn't need to breathe to stay alive anymore so I didn't care. Her skin was hot and her perfume got directly to my head like the best liquor, getting me drunk and making me whine in her mouth. Another hand grazed my buttocks gently, slipping towards my hip, and I smiled in my mind when I felt Ruby's touch while she was kneeling down on the mattress behind me.

"I don't believe you," Terra answered mockingly. "I should punish you because you forget about me while thinking about those nasty werewolves..." The vampire shoved her tongue deeply in my mouth again to stop me from complaining and I couldn't help shuddering in anticipation, I knew my girl got creative with punishments when I challenged her and it meant that I'd end up exhausted and satisfied hours later, unable to move but smiling happily in her arms. "But I'm not doing it."

"Why not?" I asked confused and a little disappointed a second before... "Oh, fuck!"

"Ruby will do it for me," Terra smiled mischievously under my body while hugging me to force me to stay still taking advantage of the fact that she was stronger than me. Ruby had thrusted the dildo attached to her thighs and hips deeply in my pussy with one firm movement that sent a shiver down my spine, making me writhe helplessly between their bodies.

"Fuck... please..." I repeated quietly when the green-eyed vampire started rocking her hips slowly, digging her thumbs into my flesh to pin me down while Terra's hands cradled my breasts and pinched my nipples. The bed structure was shaking and I prayed for the wood planks to withstand the movements because I didn't want to explain Dario why his gorgeous blue silk canopy had fallen on the floor.

"Did you know Egyptians invented dildos? Some people think it was Cleopatra's idea but they existed before..."

"Really, Ruby? Are you going to talk about history right now?" A moan escaped from my lips when she pushed her toy further.

"Terra is not the only one who knows stuff in this family," my precious vampire answered rocking her hips every time she thrusted the dildo in my pussy and my skin got goose bumps while I gasped against her sister's mouth: my other girl stayed still under my body, hugging me while watching me fascinated and my breasts grazed hers.

"You both know how to drive me crazy," I growled clenching my jaw and both women chuckled. I was able to see Ruby gesturing with her hand out of the corner of my eye and, suddenly, I was lying face up on the mattress while my mate thrusted her dildo in my pussy again. I shook my head trying to clear my mind after the abrupt change of position and arched my back when Ruby reached deeper with her toy. "You handle me like I'm a ragdoll, it's not fair, damn it... Oh, fuck... Terra..." My mate chuckled while the tip of her naughty tongue licked my clit, flicking it at the same pace her sister moved he hips.

"Don't worry, babe, you'll be stronger soon..." Ruby pushed her dildo further and her moan echoed across the room along with mine. "Faster..." she whispered pumping again while Terra was building up an amazing ecstasy for me. "Tougher... You'll learn how to drive us crazy for days... Endless hours hot and wet against your fingers..."

"Oh, God, don't stop..." The tingling spread from my core through my body, pleasure ran wild through my veins while Terra hovered over my pelvis and her talented tongue worked on my clit nonstop, my uterus clenched around the dildo and Ruby growled when feeling my body getting tensed every time she pushed the toy deep in my pussy.

The beautiful Venetian vampire looked right at my face, her bright green eyes hypnotizing me while she tangled her fingers in her sister's hair and kept her right over my sensitive node, Ruby increased her pace throwing me over the cliff mercilessly. My body convulsed when I shattered under them but raised my hips to meet the dildo and Terra's mouth greedily for a minute more till I collapsed on the bed breathing heavily. The blue-eyed vampire raised her head to be able to kiss Ruby while I watched them entranced trying to catch my breath.

"We finally feel complete after long time..." Terra whispered against her mouth, kissing the tear that was running down Ruby's cheek gently. "I'm sorry it was so hard, my love, I'm sorry it took so many centuries... I only wanted to make you happy, I tried so many times..."

"You did well, babe, I wouldn't change our life together, not a single day. This is perfect as it is..." Ruby's tattooed hand cupped her sister's cheek before pushing her softly so she fell back on the mattress next to me. "Iselen is perfect too and she arrived to our lives when it was right for us, not before..." The vampire got rid of the dildo and lied on top of us, hugging us both, her nose grazed my neck and her lips brushed over my skin gently. "We'll have an eternity to love each other... It's perfect... Everything is fine..." she whispered before sinking her fangs in my flesh.

THE END 

A/N: wait for the epilogue in the next days... It'll be special.