“Yeah, I’m not yours,” Fiona hisses at Nicolai.

“You are too, I can feel you. And my mother says that means you’re mine.”

“Oh this is simply divine,” Lachesis says, practically beaming.

I cannot feel the bond between Fiona and me any longer, but I still love her. I can feel that with everything I am, and I’d die to save her right now if I had to. As I watch the Sisters, they’re enraptured by Nicolai and his newfound bond with my Fiona.

“Now Nicolai, you are bonded to her, but you do not have her permission so until she gives it to you, you may not fuck her. Do you understand?” Clothos coddles him.

“But why? If she’s mine why can’t I take her?” he whines.

“Because those are our rules!” Atropos yells at him.

“These rules are stupid. I’m hungry. And I want to fuck.” Nicolai is behaving like a petulant child, and I want to strangle him.

Atropos grabs him by the neck and pulls his face to hers. “You will obey. Or you will die. You have been given a new life full of great promise. The gift of immortality, Nicolai, which has been bestowed upon you by us, and it can be taken away by us. You will experience pain like you’ve never imagined if you disobey. Now shut up!” She tosses him to the ground as if he were nothing but a pebble in her hand.

This is the most fucked up scene I’ve encountered since I was turned. I have my creators standing before me, explaining to my new prodigy who I almost drained and killed, why he can’t just fuck and eat what he wants, in reference to my human girlfriend who is now bonded to him, and not me. What the fuck is next?

Lachesis turns to her sisters. “I think we should leave things exactly as they are.”

“What? You can’t leave him bonded to me. I’m never going to let him lay a hand on me willingly!” Fiona yells.

“Shut up, human!” Atropos swings her finger blade at Fiona menacingly.

“Leave her alone!” I yell, still unable to move.

“All this whining! Everyone shut up, or you all die!” Atropos yells again, her voice becoming even more shrill. “Sister, what do you mean to leave things exactly as they are?”

Lachesis explains, “I cannot think of a more glorious punishment that what you see before us. Look around, Sister. They’re miserable. How on earth will they find any peace or happiness? They can’t. It’s absolutely delightful.” She laughs and points around the room as she speaks. “Roman here lost his bond to his human lover, and now his new son is bonded to her, and quite amorous as it seems. And over here, you have the human at the center of it all. In love with one, but the subject of lust for the other. They’re all stuck together, with no way out. It’s positively delicious.”

“It would be more fun for me to kill someone.” Atropos shrugs as if she’s bored with what’s happening around her.

“Oh, Sister,” Clotho says softly. “I agree with Lachesis. I don’t like it when my children die. Even if they deserve it. It makes me so sad. And I don’t get to make near enough new children anymore. Let’s leave them to their lives here. They stand no chance of eternal happiness. Even once the human ages and dies, Roman will still be responsible for the well being of Nicolai. I care not what happens to the human if you must kill someone, but my Nicolai likes her. Let him keep her.”

“He’s not keeping me. I’m not to be kept!” Fiona interjects, causing the calm and collected Clothos to hiss in her face.

“Shut. Your. Mouth, human! Before I cut your tongue out. I’ve had enough of you! Nicolai will remain bonded to you with or without it, so I suggest you shut up while you can still tell him no.”

Fiona’s face turns pale as she’s told that the only thing keeping Nicolai from having his way with her at his leisure, are the rules of the Covenant, which the Sisters govern. They have given her the right to say no, and they can take it away if they wish.

“Now Nicolai, are you ready to listen and obey?” Clothos returns to her previous calm and collected demeanor.

“Yes,” he replies diligently.

“That’s very good, my love.” She pats his head like a puppy and then turns her attention to me.

“You are to teach him the rules, as we’ve already told you. It is your responsibility to ensure he does not take advantage of or ruin our ability to walk the earth. He will calm with time. You may not remember everything, but you were once just like him. You wanted to eat, fuck and kill everyone in sight.” She laughs and turns to Fiona, who has tears in her beautiful eyes before she continues reminding me of my responsibility. “And you did for a little while. Times were different then. But now, we must follow protocols. Agreements have been made and must be abided by. Eventually, he will find his way, but until then, you are to keep him safe. You are both my children, and I love you.”

Am I supposed to say I love her back because that’s not at all how I’m feeling? I want to kill her. In fact, all three of them. Not wanting to leave Fiona alone with Nicolai, I simply nod my head in agreement and understanding.

Clothos walks to Fiona and kneels in front of her. “Fiona Weston, you get to live another day it seems. I suggest you watch that mouth of yours in the future. It almost got you killed, and you haven’t seen the last of me, or my Sisters, who are far less understanding that I am. We will be back to check on you. Your bond to Nicolai cannot be broken without my permission, and I do not intend to grant that permission to you in your minuscule lifetime. So, it might behoove you to give him what he desires. After all, you certainly enjoyed your time with Roman. A young, viral new vampire can give you such pleasure, Fiona. He can take you places you’ve only dreamed about. I suggest you consider it.”

Fiona doesn’t reply, and I’m so grateful for that. Her stubborn attitude could have gotten her killed today, in a way that would not have been quick and painless.

“Sisters, I think we are done here.” Lachesis waves her hands around the room, which in turn frees both Fiona and me from our invisible entrapment.

“I think so too. I will be looking forward to seeing how this unexpected turn of events develops. Very well played, Sister,” Atropos grins.

“Take care, my children. And Fiona, consider what I’ve said to you.” Clothos waves, as the Sisters disappear out the sliding glass doors dramatically.

As soon as they are gone, I run to Fiona. “Are you okay?” I examine the bite marks Nicolai has left, and attempt to lick them clean for her.

“Stop!” She pushes me away.

“What?” I ask, confused.

“You’re serious? Do you see what kind of fucking mess this is?”

“What do you want me to say, Fiona? A mistake was made, and now I must suffer the punishment for it. Our bond may be broken, but I love you.”

Nicolai watches us, looking bored. “When can I feed on you again?”

“How about never, fucker?” Fiona snaps at him, making me laugh. She hates him, and I cannot help but be amused.

“We’re bonded, you have to let me.”

“You need to learn the fucking rules, pal. No means no. In human and in your crazy fucked up vampire world. So back off. We’ll find you a consort later; you’re not gonna starve, and the grown-ups need to sort some shit out here.” Fiona schools him, and I fear I’m next.

She looks at me, narrowing her eyes. “You know what, Roman? You got me into a big pile of shit here, and it’s not okay.”

“I know it seems bad Fiona, but we can still have the life we want, together.”

“With your college-age son on the loose, fucking everything in sight, trying to feed on me? How’s this supposed to work exactly? Where do we live? Do all three of us shack up together?” Her arms are crossed, and her questions are serious. I’ve not considered any of them.

“I don’t know, Fiona, but we can make this work. That is if you want to.” I meet her eyes, searching for answers in them. “If you want us to leave you alone, I will keep him away from you, and you can lead your life as vampire free as you choose it to be.”

“You’re not getting off that easy, Roman.”

“This is not easy for me Fiona, I promise you. Please tell me how to make this right,” I beg of her.

“There is no making this right. But there is moving forward. And that’s what we’re going to do. I love you, Roman. That hasn’t changed. Fuck them. One thing is for damn sure. I’m going to decide how things go now.”