Sophia led me down the halls of their upper hotel floor, which was somehow even more luxurious than the one I’d stayed on previously.

“That was not my cup of tea.” I said, exhausted from the hours long meeting with hyper focused business-vampires.

Sophia laughed lightly, the sound making me feel at ease.

“Well, you better get used to it. We aren’t going to let you get away anytime soon.” She joked.

She unlocked the door with a keycard and entered and as I followed; I was honestly surprised when I saw the sprawling lavish interior.

“So, this is for me, and how many others exactly?” I asked, looking at the over 16-foot ceiling.

Sophia laughed as she disappeared into another room. I followed into a large bedroom.

“Good. They’ve brought up your bags. I was worried it would get lost.” she said, nodding towards the leather duffel bag sitting on an... ottoman?

I sighed tiredly as I sat down on the edge of the bed, feeling very much out of place here while absentmindedly struggling with the top button of my shirt.

Sophia watched me struggle for a moment before setting her tablet on a dresser and walking over. She stopped directly in front of me, causing me to look up and lock eyes with her.

Something felt different about her. She felt almost hesitant. She gently sat down sideways on my lap and turned to face me. As she held my gaze intently, she carefully began unbuttoning my shirt.

My mind was blank, and I was just so tired.

After she had finished unbuttoning my shirt, she sat there for a moment considering something and raised a hand, running it gently through my hair before leaning forward and kissing me deeply.

A part of me knew I shouldn’t, that it was too dangerous, causing me to pull back.

“No, you don’t understand. We can’t, I can’t.” I cautioned, before Sophia placed a finger on my lips.

“I can feel the part of you cautioning you against this. It is the same part of you that still thinks you’re at war. But you aren’t. You are home now, safe.” She whispered as she embraced me.

I felt a dam in me break and an old wound ache as her warmth pressed against me.

I turned us around and placed her underneath me on the bed.

She reached up and held my face in her hands, staring into my eyes.

“Tonight is just the two of us. Nothing else matters, only the here and now.” She told me.

I let go control and allowed my emotions to burst forth, bathing her in Need, Fear and Lust.

Her eyes opened wide and changed to a pearly white as she rolled us around, ending up on top of me. She pulled a single pin from her hair, letting it fall down wildly and effortlessly slipped out of her skirt and shirt, revealing black laces and supple, toned features.

My heart hammered in my chest as she ran her cold hands up my shirt while leaning down, taking in a deep breath. I let my hands roam across her body in response and she let out a low inhuman purr.

she gazed down at me with a sensual, predatory sort of desire as instinct took hold of me in response.

***

I felt the warm sun warming me, my body popping and cracking with every movement as I stirred awake, feeling refreshed for the first time in years.

My energy flowed evenly, and I barely had to do my usual routine of syphoning the murky and impure parts out. It felt like a basin filling uniformly. No hint of the formerly caustic energy was present, as my head felt clearer than it had been for months.

“My back feels like it’s on fire though.” I thought as I noticed the pair of four red lines on the sheets where I’d laid.

I noted the sun past its apex, realizing it must be well past noon transitioning towards evening. I Looked around me, as a slow feeling of dread and panic started to creep in.

Suddenly I sprang out of bed, looking around the room for the vampire that had been with me last night.... Morning. My head flooding with jumbled images of us throughout the night and well into the morning.

“Oh god.” I said out loud, terror in my voice, before a logical part of me told me to relax and take a deep breath.

I scanned the room again, noting that there was no Sophia, no ashes or burned body, if that’s even how that worked. I wasn’t entirely clear on that part, and... No Sophia’s clothes.

There was a knock on the door and a voice saying.

“Sir, the Matriarch has requested you in her office at your earliest convenience.” I heard footsteps quickly retreating before I could even answer.

***

A quick shower and a new set of clothes later, I was stepping off the elevator on an office floor, a secretary yawning, either at the end or start of her shift. She immediately perked up when she saw me, her eyes going wide.

“That can’t be a good sign.” I thought.

“Uh, Matriarch Katya’s office, please?” I asked. She took a moment before pointing down a hall to the right.

No further directions seemed forthcoming, so I started walking down the wide corridor lined on either side with offices and meeting rooms.

I spotted a large corner office at the end of the hall and knocked.

“Enter.” Katya’s voice responded.

“Ah, Aleks. Just the person I wanted to see.” She said with a shrewd smile.

Natasha was standing on the other side of the room, leering at me with an impish grin.

“Slept well?” Katya asked.

“Uh, yes?” I replied foolishly, stepping on the clearly labeled landmine.

Natasha snorted off to the side.

“I’ve gotten some interesting reports. Would you like to hear them?” Katya asked, not really giving me time to answer.

“First is of a dazed high-ranking member of the clan walking around improperly dressed. The next is from Sophia confessing to a feeding frenzy in which she accidentally killed you. After that, oh this one is funny, it’s actually two reports filled at around the same time. One is of a custodes team going to move your supposed body, and the other is a noise complaint of excessive snoring coming from your room.” Katya said, ending in mock surprise.

Natasha was now bent over, leaning on the table she stood next to for support as she cackled and gasped for breath, wheezing out,

“They could hear him before they even got off the elevator!” she got out before erupting into laughter.

Katya kept going, ignoring the spiky-haired brunette making a scene.

“Then we have the doctor’s report on Sophia. Apparently, she consumed enough energy to make her frenzy and pass out from consumption. Repeatedly.” Katya said, slight astonishment in her voice.

Natasha, pulling herself together, finally said coherently.

“She’s fine. Better than fine, actually. It would seem the excessive injections of energy made her temporarily immune to daytime-drowsiness.” Natasha said with a grin.

“Is she really alright?” I asked, a little concerned.

“She’ll be fine. She was pretty shaken up when I took her back to our place, though. Old traumas and such.” Natasha replied, righting herself and wiping a tear from her eye.

“Our? you got communal living in this hundred-plus floor palace?” I asked jokingly.

“No, we’re married and living together outside the tower, so technically, you fucked my wife’s vampire-brains out.” Natasha said for the first time, looking vulnerable, almost like she was daring me to say something.

“Aren’t you guys related?” I asked before my brain could stop my stupid mouth.

“That a problem for you sport?” Natasha teased, relieved for some reason.

“Sophia isn’t related to the clan by blood.” Katya clarified, giving Natasha a chiding look.

“Now Natasha dear, maybe you should go check on Sophia.” Katya said, dismissing Natasha.

After Natasha left the room, Katya turned back to me.

“Natasha hasn’t completely adapted to this new age, still thinking people will judge her for her life choices. She was born a fighter in the wrong century. Luckily, she’s lived to see one more accepting of her choices in partner.” Katya explained.

“As I’ve told you before, this new world had been a chance for many to escape outdated traditions and beliefs.” She finished.

“What about the whole I slept with her wife bit?” I asked, concerned I’d made a major social faux pas.

“Physical monogamy is a rarity in our community, partly because of our lifespan and partly because of our supernatural needs.” She explained.

“But I must admit, you gave us all quite the scare.” She said with a smile.

***

I reluctantly agreed to a dinner later before leaving the office, but halfway out the door, Katya proved Natasha was blood related to her, by having her own bit of fun at my expense.

“Oh and Aleks, if you decide to sleep with anymore of my clan members, try to make it more than one, I can’t afford people taking days off to recover. I’m trying to run a conglomerate, after all.”

I grimaced hard enough for it to show in my body language and my face heated as all eyes in the office turned to look at me.

***

The Dinner had apparently been between Natasha, Sophia and myself at their apartment.

Something Katya had forgotten to mention.

After knocking, the door opened to reveal an absolutely glowing Sophia, and a pleasant aroma of homemade cooking flooded out of the apartment, filling the hallway.

Their apartment wasn’t anywhere near as extravagant as the hotels in the tower, far more lived in and homely. You could see the personal care taken in every bit of the room, from the shelves of mementos and keepsakes to the reading alcove built into a windowsill almost the size of a bed.

The apartment was by no means small or cramped, with its wide and spacious living room and open kitchen design. I knew vaguely that anything this large this central had to cost a fortune. And I got the feeling the clan wasn’t footing the bill.

In the middle of the room Natasha sat awkwardly at an antique looking wooden dining table covered in a white tablecloth and lit by candles.

“Please sit, foods almost ready.” Sophia said with a wink.

I raised a questioning eyebrow at the anxious looking Natasha.

“Don’t look at me. She’s been like that all day and evening.” Natasha said while shaking her head, already having declared the battle lost.

Sophia was humming as she came over with a wide and impressive selection of food that my hick sensibilities could only describe as Meat and Vegetables.

She uncorked a bottle of white wine, pouring herself a glass and raising it as if in toast saying

“Bon Appétit” and taking a sip.

“Uh, honey, isn’t that dessert wine?” Natasha asked, a little concerned.

“Why yes, it is, my love. I expect sweet things tonight,” she said with a deeply foreboding smile that made both Natasha and me shiver.

***

Contrary to expectations, dinner was nice and conversation flowed without a problem as the evening continued.

“I left the clan heading back to Russia on the first boat I could find, barely eighteen at the time.” Natasha said.

“Katya was furious with me.” She finished with a small smile, remembering how she joined the first world war.

“Can’t have been easy at that age. I know it sure as hell wasn’t for me.” I said, nodding to her story.

“It wasn’t no. But I joined an all-female combat unit, and they took care of me. A lot more supernatural beings fighting in those two wars than you’ve ever heard of.” she said while taking a sip of wine, remembering her friends fondly.

Sophia groaned.

“Is that really all the two of you can talk about? War stories and war buddies?” she said, a little drummed down by the topic.

“Alright, how about how the two of you met? How long have you been together?” I asked, Natasha flinching from the last part, clearly a sore subject.

“Ah, my bad.” I thought.

Sophia glanced her way with a cat-like stare, before letting her off the hook and replying instead.

“We’ve been married for about 40 years now. We met 20 years before that.” Sophia said, emptying her glass. And I leaned over to pour her another.

“Nat was so much more forward back then, and I’d sworn off relationships.” Sophia said reminiscing, seeming a little tipsy.

“Could vampires get drunk?” I wondered to myself.

Sophia seemed to remember something unpleasant, her expression becoming strained for a moment. Natasha frowned.

“I killed someone, someone dear to me, in much the same fashion I thought I’d killed you.” Sophia said with a sad smile.

She forced a brighter expression as she soldiered on.

“With your... Help-” she paused with a playful smile “-I managed to face some old demons, and regain a part of myself that I never thought I would get back. Thank you for that.” She said sincerely, eyes slightly glistening.

Natasha looked at me with appreciation.

“Another thing Natasha and I share.” She said, Natasha’s posture stiffening immediately.

“You wouldn’t know this, but the night the Red Court took Sasha, Nat had been her Guardian. No one blamed her, as it was entirely not her fault and instead the fault of a traitor. But my dear Natasha can be very hard on herself.” Sophia said, looking at Natasha affectionately.

“She was distraught at having failed to protect her ward and niece, like any other Custodes would be.” She continued, as she turned to look at me.

“Then you come walking up to the Tower, security spotting you a block away from the coat you wore, before you even made it to the plaza. And in your arms bundled in Red court regalia was the little one, unharmed. You even appeared extremely protective of her when Katya approached you.” Sophia finished, looking at me gratefully.

“Did you know, Protectiveness of heirs is a very attractive trait to Sentires?” Sophia said with a devious smile, glancing towards Natasha who was looking away embarrassed.

“That along with strength and courage.” Sophia said, getting up from her seat between us.

“I was immensely grateful to you for lifting the heavy burden of guilt off my Heart’s shoulders.” She said, her accent thickening around the word Heart while placing a hand on Natasha’s shoulder.

“She cared for you for days without rest, to the point I had to stand guard at your door to make sure she at least went to sleep during the daytime.” She said, now standing behind Natasha with both her hands resting on her shoulders.

Natasha managed to blush a deeper and deeper shade of red, but still reached up to squeeze one of her wife’s hands as Sophia continued.

“Now, My Natty is quite good at flirtatious banter, but she lacks the confidence to take that extra step across the finishing line.” Sophia said with a sultry voice.

“She has had no one else but me for almost 60 years. Sustaining herself on Katya’s meetings and schemes.” Sophia explained, sounding a little sad.

She leaned down, hands roaming Natasha’s body lasciviously while softly whispering into her ear.

“It’s not fair. She deserves better.” While staring intently ahead at me.

Having frozen mid sip, a good thirty seconds ago, my mind finally caught up as I put my glass down.

I stood up and walked around the table, Natasha pushing out her chair and standing as well, looking timidly at me approaching.

I walked up close enough to press her perfectly shaped butt up against the table as I gently cupped her chin, raising her gaze to meet my own.

“To think she was this shy and timid behind it all.” I thought to myself before kissing her tenderly.

Things got started quickly, with Sophia’s help. Soon both me and Natasha were stripped almost naked.

Sophia walked to the other side of the table and sat down, pouring herself another glass of wine, before smiling sweetly at Natasha’s confused expression.

“Oh, I’ve had my fill, but I’ll be Right Here dear.” she said with a devious smile.

Natasha turned to look at me, suddenly realizing how exposed she was. She innocently tried to cover herself with her arms.

I smiled at her coy display and gently lifted her up onto the cleared table, pushing her down softly with one hand. She complied and laid down, ending up just in front of Sophia. She flushed even more while looking up at her wife.

I put her legs over my shoulders while lightly kissing her inner thigh, moving down, running my calloused hands down her long, smooth legs.

Her breath shuddered so much I thought my hands might’ve been cold, but then I heard Sophia’s voice purr.

“Yes, he’s quite something isn’t he?” Sophia said

I looked up to see them sharing a passionate kiss while upside down.

Sophia looked down at me with a cheeky grin.

“Well, don’t stop now.” she said.

I carefully pulled the red piece of laced fabric between me and Natasha up and over her legs, before repeating my earlier meandering down her thighs, this time not halting.

A shock went through her as I started out slowly, then another as I willed my energy into my tongue, sending it through her.

“Impressive Titan, you’ve been holding out on me.” Sophia said with mock jealousy.

Natasha’s body shook once, then twice. On the third, she was gasping for air in deep ragged breaths.

“That’s enough foreplay. Time for the dessert.” Sophia whispered into Natasha’s ear, loud enough for me to hear.

Taking my cue, I untangled myself from the mess of long, smooth legs wrapped around my head.

Standing, I turned her over; her legs quivering as she was forced to stand on them again.

“Yes, he does seem to favor that position.” Sophia commented appreciatively, holding onto one of her wife’s hands while the other was holding her wineglass. She took a sip and nodded for me to continue.

I ran my palm, radiating warmth and energy, down from between her shoulders all the way to her hips. Her body relaxed and her breath steadied.

Then I slowly pressed myself against her, as she raised herself up onto her arms, coming face to face with Sophia and releasing a long gasp, turning into a deep moan. Her eyes turned crystal white, causing Sophia’s to do the same as the two kissed affectionately.

Natasha’s demeanor changed and relaxed as she began eagerly pushing back towards me.

“Patience my love.” Sophia said, caressing Natasha’s face with one hand and letting the other expertly slide down her body, causing her to shiver so intensely that it reached me.

I pushed back in deeper this time, hands finding purchase on the sides of her hips as I moved faster, rapidly picking up speed as Natasha matched my rhythm, pushing back. The entirety of me moved deep inside her, disappearing completely.

Her back arched up in a shallow gasp, Sophia’s and Natasha’s attention completely focused on each other.

I waited for them to pull apart. As they did, Natasha seemed absolutely euphoric, smiling deliriously at Sophia, closing her eyes while releasing a satisfied moan and collapsing onto the table.

“This was just what I needed.” Natasha said, looking up lovingly at her wife.

“Was?” Sophia looked deviously at Natasha.

“Oh honey, this is far from over.” Sophia clarified as she nodded for me to continue.

***

“Thank you again for helping me out, Aleks. She puts on a very confident front, but she’s actually very sensitive and innocent.” Sophia thanked me as I put on my coat at the door.

“You don’t think we were a bit too rough with her?” I asked, concerned, looking past Sophia towards the blissfully content expression on the face of the still bent over sleeping vampire, passed out on the dining table.

“She’ll be fine. She deserves a break too. I’ll take care of the rest.” She said, giving me a friendly peck on the cheek before saying goodbye.