TWENTY (ISELEN POV)

"What are these things?" I ask throwing one in my mouth and chewing happily, the crunching sound echoes across the car and the human smiles amused although she keeps her eyes fixed on the road to avoid crashing into a tree.

"Spicy sweet chili Doritos," Ruby answers and I nod.

"Terra, can you buy me some bags online?"

"As many as you want, baby," the wolf takes her phone and starts typing while I get relaxed on the backseat and drink a sip of soda.

The trip back home was boring because it's dark, raining and Ruby has been driving more alert, we've listened to music and made plans to go to Los Angeles that we'll have to debate with Maeve and Raven. On one hand, the half-demon could help us to fight the asshole we're looking for and it'd be a good idea to take her with us; on the other hand, we need responsible and trustworthy people to take care of the Wind Rose and the guests that could arrive unexpectedly. The druid is the best option but she won't want to leave her new girlfriend's side ... I think it's better if they stay at home protecting the house.

I throw another Dorito in my mouth and Ruby looks at me through the rearview mirror, smiling when I wink at her. I was alone in bed when I woke up this evening and there was a piece of paper on the nightstand where she explained me she had gone grocery shopping to buy more food with the wolf. They arrived a few minutes later carrying three cappuccinos, this time with caffeine, cinnamon rolls and sandwiches. And several bags of snacks and drinks, these Doritos I love so much included. None of them mentioned the amazing sex we had last night and how I collapsed crying in Terra's arms, luckily.

I still can't believe the enormous power this little human has over me. When I told her I didn't mind giving up control, I never thought she would succeed, never thought I'd turn into a quivering mass or my brain would turn into jelly because of the intense, erotic pleasure, and I'd have to hold onto Terra to keep me sane, till almost suffocating her with my arms. It's true that Ruby's not a supernatural creature but it's pretty obvious she can do magic with her fingers and mouth... and turn me into her slave.

I mean, not that I care, I'm very happy with my girls but I believe I'll go crazy if I lose them. My feelings for them are so intense that sorrow would kill me if one of them decides to leave me... but that's not going to happen. Terra's sure that no one will leave this pack and I trust the wolf. I know she can fight and take care of herself and I'll keep an eye on our human all the time so everything will be all right. Her blood is still powerful inside me and I'll be able to find her wherever she goes. We're going to kick the ass of Marsh the Douche Producer and later... we'll see. Whatever we need to do, it'll be together.

"Fuck, I'm sorry," Ruby whispers when the car shakes after she goes over a pothole. "It's a good thing I rented this big SUV instead of the small hybrid car I usually drive in the city. The country roads crossing this nature reserve are a mess."

"Only forest rangers come here, sometimes firefighters to train, although the magical barrier protects the Wind Rose against fires too," Terra answers absentmindedly because she's still focused on her phone screen.

"What's that plume of smoke, then?" the human asks puzzled.

"What are you talking about?" I ask leaning forward between their two seats to take a look while licking my fingers. Some kind of white fog is lurking behind the trees, but it's perfectly visible thanks to the car lights. "What the hell is that?"

"I don't know," the wolf shrugs, bewildered. "But it doesn't move with the wind, actually... it's coming towards us. I don't think that's a normal fog... How far are we from home?"

"Less than a kilometre... Fuck!" I cry when Ruby slams on the brakes, skidding a little, and I have to grab Terra's seat hard to stop me from smashing my face into the dashboard. "What the...?" There's a black dog right in front of the car, massive, even bigger than a werewolf, its red eyes shine under the lights and saliva drips from the white sharp fangs when it growls, drops fall on the ground and wisps of smoke swirl in the air when the corrosive liquid drills a hole in the dry leaves. The fur of its back stands on end and it looks bigger than before while that strange fog keeps getting closer. "Is it a friend of yours?" I ask quietly and Terra shakes her head.

"That's not a wolf," she whispers.

"Those charms were supposed to protect us from demons," Ruby stutters nervously. "They weren't supposed to find us."

"But they aren't blind, babe," I answer keeping my eyes fixed on the massive creature that seems about to jump on us. "They've seen us coming because they're watching the perimeter of the Wind Rose. What are we going to do? Should we go out and fight or we run and try to reach our home?"

"Iselen, fasten your seatbelt," the human orders with a firm tone of voice and I obey while she grabs the wheel hard. "I learnt this from my friend Vin Diesel while we shot a film, he's an expert driver..."

Ruby steps on the gas and turns the wheel abruptly, narrowly dodging the dog, the animal growls surprised and runs behind the car very fast, chasing us like crazy, but it can't reach us because the human is stepping on the pedal all the way to the floor and it feels like we're almost flying over the road. I hold onto whatever I can reach to stop my ass from bouncing on the seat when the tires find another pothole and Ruby curses, dodging the weird fog too. The vehicle skids and, for a second, I fear we're going to overturn or crash... Human life is fragile and my girl could end up seriously hurt, I'm sure of that. Luckily, she manages to control the car and holds the wheel firmly, focusing on the garden gate right in front of us.

"Fuck!" Terra growls when the vehicle shakes, the tires slip on the mud and I hold onto the seat again. I think the creature has hit the trunk with its strong paw but Ruby is still stepping on the gas like she wants to drill a hole with her foot on the car floor.

"I bet its claws have scratched the paint, I think I've just lost my deposit," the human heaves a sigh in resignation and I stare at her in disbelief.

"I'll pay to fix it, don't worry about that," I answer before screaming. "A stinky demon is getting closer to our left! It looks like the one that attacked us at the party in the clearing..." Some scorpions, worms and spiders land on the roof of the vehicle, they sound like hail hitting the metal and I swear I can hear them scratching the surface to try to get in, but they jump to the ground again when some kind of powerful and magical force pushes them away abruptly one second before Ruby crosses the gate and the invisible barrier protecting the Wind Rose. Finally, she slams on the breaks inside the garden and almost crashes into a white marble fountain, leaving two grooves on Terra's perfect lawn.

"Are you okay? What the hell happened?" Raven and Maeve are running towards us under the rain, holding colourful umbrellas, while the witches turn on the kitchen lights and wait standing at the terrace door, staring at us confused and anxiously. Ghosts float around us, lighting up the garden softly with their glow and mocking our enemies that are gathering in front of the gate, trying to get in the garden.

"Demons from hell, that's what happened!" I yell while rolling down the window. "They were watching the road... Jerks..." The familiar scent of the wet forest fills my lungs and I relax finally: we're at home. Although we'll leave tomorrow evening again, probably. We'll have to get out through the back door...

*****

"Ruby's house is gorgeous..." Terra whispers while we wait patiently at the restaurant door. The human is talking to the waiter trying to get a table for us on the terrace surrounded by little trees and lime green umbrellas, even if they're useless right now since the sky is getting dark.

"Do you really like it? It's quite modern, with white walls, wooden beams and straight lines, doesn't look baroque at all," I chuckle amused. "No Venetian crystal chandeliers but it's comfortable, rooms are big and the back garden with a swimming pool seems to make her dogs really happy. In addition to that, the street is quiet and there's not much traffic, which is great for you... Are you going to tell her about it?" I ask and the wolf stares at me, confused. "Telling her that your sensitive nose can't stand the smell of exhaust fumes and you'd rather have dinner inside the building."

"She looks thrilled with the idea of having dinner on the terrace, I wouldn't want to ruin her fun..." Terra shrugs, scrunching her nose. "I think this is important to her, she wants to be a good hostess, she feels compelled to give us the best stuff this city has to offer to visitors and it seems to me that those tables out there are highly valued... Having dinner on a trendy terrace while everybody looks at you is a symbol of high status in Los Angeles. It's weird, isn't it? Centuries ago, private and fancy dining rooms were the popular hideout for the privileged class... They even got in through secret doors to avoid the eyes of the plebs. And they paid lot of money to enjoy such a privilege. On the contrary, in LA, if no one watches you while eating, going grocery shopping or visiting the best beauty salon, it's like you don't exist. They love showing off..."

"I guess you're right..."

"Are you going to tell her about it?" the werewolf asks and it's my turn to stare at her confused through my sunglasses. "That neon lights, lampposts, big screens and all that, give you a headache and you'd rather have dinner in her garden with candles..."

"As you've said, I don't want to ruin her fun, trying to make us happy is important for her... And she's so pretty when she smiles," Terra nods watching Ruby waving her tattooed hand at us, asking us to get closer. I think she got the table she wanted finally, in a discreet corner, thanks God. "Look down, there's a surveillance camera above the entrance door..." We both fix our eyes on the floor and walk slowly because we don't want to draw attention, moving the chairs to make sure we're sitting with our backs to the camera and most clients.

"This is one of my favourite restaurants, what do you think about it?" the human asks anxiously and a wide grin appears on our faces automatically. If anyone had said months ago that I'd be sitting here to have dinner in front of lot of people, on the terrace of a restaurant in a big city, while humans are watching me, just because I want to please my new girlfriend, I'd have laughed at them and told them they were crazy. The things we do for love...

"It has a rustic touch that reminds me of the village where I was born," I answer and she nods, happy and relieved. The werewolf winks at me and pretends to focus on the menu while Ruby orders some drinks for us: apparently, this place is famous for brewing their own beer. I prefer a glass of wine usually but, once again, I'm not telling her... her face is glowing with happiness while she takes a look around and points at the building wall.

"That's recycled wood and bricks are old too, lamps are made out of wicker baskets... This is what humans are doing now, we take things that we used to throw away and turn them into something new again... It doesn't look like the Wind Rose at all." Her tone of voice gets weak and she hesitates, biting her lower lip.

"It's different," Terra admits nodding. "But that's okay, we love trying new things all the time... And we love being with you." Ruby smiles and I have to fix my sunglasses on my face because the whole terrace has lit up all of a sudden, her smile is brighter than any artificial light... This pretty girl with sweet blood will be the death of me, her beauty is more lethal than the claws of a soldier demon.

"Your witch friends were really kind and worked very fast, my house is a safe refuge now and these charms are more powerful than the ones we carried to Santa Rosa," the human whispers quietly and points at the moon-shaped golden pendant that's hanging from her neck.

"Yes, but the spells will only last for a couple of weeks, they're not permanent." The werewolf clears her throat awkwardly when a girl walks past our table, her perfume is so strong that I almost feel dizzy, and Terra grimaces discreetly. "I hope we'll find that half-demon soon and put an end to this situation and nonsense about the key of hell."

"I hope you're right..." my girl sighs tiredly. "On the other hand, those witches didn't like you at all..." Ruby looks at me with curiosity waiting for an explanation while Terra focuses on the menu again, chuckling.

"Centuries ago, a stupid rumour spread among vampires... If you drank blood from a witch, instead of choosing a normal human prey, you'd get more powerful..." I shrug leaning back on my chair and holding my cold glass of beer. "It doesn't make sense but some vampires believed it and attacked those poor women... We have a bad name among witches since then even if we drink blood from plastic bags now."

"I get the impression that bloodsuckers have a bad name in the magical community in general."

"Believe me, babe, we deserve it. We've been supernatural bullies for long years, I guess only demons get more hate than us..."

"That's not true, honey," Terra shakes her head taking my hand on the table, rubbing my skin with her thumb. "Werewolf packs terrorized people often, attacking villages and killing all humans mercilessly... But that was long centuries ago and our refuge in the forest helped to change some stereotypic and preconceived ideas about our races, now we're all more tolerant and only try to survive..." The waiter gets closer and we remain silent white Ruby orders spicy chicken for Terra, beef with mushrooms for me and a very fancy salad with vegan cheese for her.

"Excuse me, Ruby Rose... Do you remember me? I'm Margaret, one of Vogue magazine editors, we met at a party in Cannes two years ago..."

"Yes, of course," the human shakes the hand of a pretty Asian girl with blue hair who has appeared out of nowhere and looks at her smiling.

"Are these ladies your friends?" Ruby nods, confused, while Margaret stares at us entranced. "Are you European models? Instagram influencers? Actresses? The truth is that I don't recognize your pretty faces but I absolutely love your street style, you grabbed everybody's attention when you walked into the restaurant, you move with such a natural grace... Are you French?" The editor points at me smiling and I shrug, not knowing what to say. "You have that Parisian chic vibe: blue jeans, a simple striped t-shirt, boots and a blazer and, yet, you look like you're wearing expensive designer clothes. You, on the contrary, have a warmer vibe, kind of Mediterranean... Are you from Italy?"

"My grandpa was born in Milan," the werewolf admits and I look at her surprised because I didn't know that while the waiter puts our plates on the table, dodging the woman with blue hair who's standing right next to us, staring at us mesmerized.

"I knew it..." Margaret smiles before rummaging in her bag anxiously. "We've scheduled a photoshoot about European street style next month and I'd love to work with you both, I'll leave you my card in case your agents decide to contact me..."

Ruby tries to hold back her laughter in front of us while we stare at the editor with a mix of disbelief and bewilderment, our food is getting cold and I'm starting to get upset. We're drawing unwanted attention because of this stranger who's leaning over my shoulder to put white card next to my glass. I take my glasses off with a swift movement and look at her right into her eyes before she straightens her back, the vampire charm kicks in immediately and Margaret looks at me dazzled.

"Get lost!" I growl harshly and she nods before turning around and leaving the restaurant walking slowly and not looking back.

"Iselen, what have you done? Are you crazy?" Ruby takes a look around, worried, and sighs relieved when she realizes no one thinks that Margaret leaving abruptly is strange, I guess they're all too busy taking pics of their food to post them on that Instagram everybody is talking about. I shrug before putting the sunglasses on again and taking my fork.

"Don't worry, she won't remember anything..."

"That's not the problem," the human cuts me off angrily but making sure she's speaking in a low voice. "You don't understand it, you can't answer like that to people living in this city, you can't show off your rude manners...That's wrong."

"Being in bad mood is not allowed in Los Angeles?" Terra asks amused before trying her chicken.

"You cannot be mean and a petty queen," we both stare at her in disbelief and she rolls her eyes hard. "Iselen, no one wants to watch your foul mood in LA. People living in this city want... inspirational quotes, positive feelings, uplift the spirit..." Ruby takes a deep breath and breathes out slowly like she's in the middle of a yoga session. "It's important to support the trendy cause unconditionally, whatever it is: feminism or LGBTQ rights, for example. But always with a smile on your face and good vibes. You have to be kind to everybody and in all circumstances: if you have a bad day, if your belly hurts because you got your period or have woken up in bad mood, you better stay at home instead of facing the world and your social media accounts... A rude comment and you could ruin your career and reputation, all those haters would jump on you like crazy..."

"You mean, we can't have normal human or supernatural feelings in this city?" I ask confused and Ruby shakes her head firmly.

"Not in public... In LA, you're supposed to smile, be kind, smoke weed, post nice quotes on Twitter inspired in oriental philosophy, maybe, the ones that look good printed on T-shirts. You must be happy and a little bohemian... and try vegan food at least once to take pics for your Instagram." I stare at my girl quietly, puzzled, waiting for her to tell me she's joking, but Ruby keeps a straight face and Terra looks at her as confused as I am.

"To be honest, my love, I hate big cities and this Hollyweird seems to be particularly bad..." I admit looking right at her face, waiting for her reaction, but the human just shrugs and smiles sweetly.

"That's great, babe, but do not say it out loud."