CHAPTER 34
Iro
Iro woke up and left the room in her closet.
She planned to eat something and check on Zara to see if she was still with Arwen and to make sure that they were both okay.
Then, she would run over to Cassia’s house to ensure that she had left with whatever vampires she had with her.
She’d buried Gigi in her backyard rather quickly, so she’d need to see to it that the woman was well hidden and wouldn’t be discovered by anyone anytime soon.
It was a busy day that she had planned for herself, and that was good.
She would need a lot more of them if she was going to be away from Arwen, who seemed to need time away from her.
“Zara, is she with you?” she asked when Zara answered the phone.
“No, she’s not. She dropped me off at my car with a gas can and told me she wanted some time alone.”
“Where did she go? Home? It might not be safe. I need to make sure that Cassia left town first.”
“I don’t know. She didn’t say. But I told her to text me every hour so that I know she’s okay.”
Iro sighed and said, “Zara, if she doesn’t want to see or talk to me, that’s fine, but someone needs to keep an eye on her. She’s a new vampire.”
“So am I.”
“I know, but you’re her best friend.”
“We have a long way to go until we get back to that,” Zara replied.
Then, there was a knock at Iro’s door.
“Zara, did you see anyone following you at all?”
“No. We were both really careful. We stayed in a hotel last night, too.”
Iro grabbed her reloaded pistol, stuck a knife in the back pocket of her jeans, and headed to the door.
“I have to go. I will call you later. Text her now, Zara. Make sure she’s okay.”
“Okay. I will,” Zara said. “I’ll let you know.”
Iro took a breath just before she got to the door. When she recognized the scent immediately, she set the gun down and the knife next to it and opened the door.
“You’ll have to fix that window,” Arwen told her.
“Hi,” she replied, breathing a sigh of relief.
“Hi,” Arwen said with a smile.
“And I will. Cardboard worked for the night, though.”
“Can I come in?”
“Oh, yes,” she said and moved aside.
Arwen’s phone beeped.
“That’ll be Zara. I just talked to her and asked her to check on you.”
“Ah,” Arwen said and pulled out her phone. “I’m fine. With Iro now,” she said out loud as she typed.
A second later, Iro’s phone dinged.
“I think you have a message,” Arwen said with a smirk.
“I think she’s trying to be very helpful, given what she did,” Iro suggested and pulled her phone out of her pocket. She texted Zara back quickly and pocketed the phone again. “Do you want something to drink?” she asked.
“Are you asking about blood or something else?”
“Do you need blood?” she asked and closed the door behind Arwen.
“No, I ate this morning.”
“It’s noon.”
“So?”
“You’re new. How badly are you craving it right now?”
Arwen looked around and said, “I took the train. That was a bad decision. It was packed, and I barely made it out of there without biting someone. I did, though, and that matters, right?”
“Yes, it does,” Iro answered. “Let me get you something. I’ll warm it up this time, and if you want, you can mix it, believe it or not. Certain alcohols can help cover up the animal taste.”
“I have so much to learn,” Arwen replied with little emotion. “Can we talk? Really talk?”
“Of course. Want to sit?”
Arwen nodded, and they walked farther into the house, where Arwen stood in front of the fireplace while Iro went into the kitchen to mix them something to drink.
“Do you want me to start a fire?” she asked as she pulled bourbon and blood out and set them on the counter.
“No. I was just thinking of yesterday and how long of a day it really was. I was here with you in the morning. We made love in front of this fireplace.”
“Yes, we did.”
Iro poured their drinks.
“And then, everything else happened.”
Iro walked over to her and handed her the drink.
“I know you’re not a big fan, but it does help,” she said of the alcohol.
“With the taste or the cravings?”
“Both, technically. We can get drunk, but it takes a lot to get us there.”
She took a sip of her drink.
“Hey, how’s your cut?”
“Healed. I slept for a long time and had a lot to eat, so I’m okay. I probably won’t go outside today, if I can help it, but I’m all right.” She sat on the sofa. “I’m more concerned with how you are.”
Arwen took a hesitant sip before she quickly finished the whole glass.
“Another?” Iro asked.
“No, I’m okay. And you were right: it did help.
” Arwen set the glass down and moved to sit next to her.
“I don’t know how I’m doing, honestly. Last night, Zara and I talked for hours, and I think we’ll be okay eventually, but not right now.
I feel like I’m still a little in shock, and I haven’t been able to get mad at her yet. ”
“I see,” Iro replied and finished her own drink before setting the glass on the table next to Arwen’s. “I assume that’s what you’re here to talk to me about, then?”
“What do you mean?” Arwen asked, turning to her.
“That you think we might be able to be okay eventually, but not now, and you need to get mad at me first.”
“I’m not mad at you, Iro.”
“You have every right to be.”
“Babe, I thought I would be. I kept waiting for it to hit me after Zara and I tried to get some sleep, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that none of this is your fault.”
“Arwen, this is all my fault. Cassia was my–”
“Cassia made her own choices. So did Zara. You never did anything to hurt me. You tried to protect me, and when you realized you might lose me, you didn’t do what Cassia did. Iro, you let me go last night. Knowing there was a chance I’d never come back, you still let me go.”
“It’s your choice. I want to be with you, Arwen, but I’d never be like Cassia.”
“I know.” Arwen shifted a little closer to her. “I know that about you already, and I have no idea how, but I trust it. I trust you more than I trust Zara right now, and I’ve known her for ten years.”
“She loves you, too, you know?”
“I know. She told me. But I don’t love her like that. I never did. I do, however, love you.”
Iro’s eyes widened, and she said, “That’s the first time you’ve said that.”
“I love you,” Arwen said again. “I knew it before what happened yesterday, and all night last night, I kept waiting for that to change; for something new about me to change my feelings or my mind; for that answer to hit. And it did, but it wasn’t aimed at you.
It was aimed at Cassia, and Zara, and just…
the situation. And I missed you, Iro. I missed you last night. ”
“I missed you, too. You have no idea how hard it was for me to let you leave here.”
“I know. But I’m glad you did. I know you better now because you did. Zara and I got to talk, and now, maybe you and I can figure this thing out between us because I don’t want to leave you again.”
“You mean that? If you need more time, Arwen, I will give that to you. We’re going to live forever. I don’t want you to go, but if you just need me right now as someone to support you through the transition, I can do that. I will do anything, my love.”
Arwen smiled and moved until she straddled Iro’s lap.
“I know you would.” She cupped Iro’s cheeks. “And I love you for that. I am in love with you, and I don’t want to go. I don’t want you just as a supportive vampire friend.” She smiled. “I want you, Iro. Do you understand what I mean?”
“You’re feeling the normal–”
“No, babe. I mean, I am; I’ve never been so horny in my entire life, and I have no idea how I’m going to deal with this forever, but it’s more than that. I could’ve been with Zara last night or some random person tonight had I wanted that, but I don’t. I want you. Only you.”
“You know that it will be even better now, right?” She unbuttoned Arwen’s shirt. “It was so good before, my beautiful Arwen, but it’s going to be even better now.”
“Will you show me?” Arwen requested. “Show me the good parts today, Iro.”
Iro pushed Arwen’s shirt off her shoulders, held on to her ass, and lifted her as she stood.
“Jesus!”
“Vampire strength. That’s one of the good things when you want to make love to the woman who has made you feel like the rest of the world could disappear, and as long as she were there, everything would be okay.”
She carried Arwen to her bedroom, and after she set her on the bed, she began removing her own clothes.
“You’re going to discover that as a vampire, you can handle more.”
“You mentioned that,” Arwen said as she kissed Iro’s stomach.
“But you’ll also like it. You’ll want it harder and faster, and more and more until you need a break to eat. Then, you’ll want it again.”
“God, that sounds really good right now,” Arwen said as she pushed Iro’s underwear down her legs. “I want all of you. I don’t want you to hold back.”
“There’s another thing…” she began. “And it makes it even better.”
She climbed on the bed and helped Arwen get out of her clothes.
“What? Anything.”
“If I bite you while you come.” She hovered over Arwen. “It’s like your brain can’t process everything that’s happening to you all at once, so it explodes. Every nerve in your body lights on fire in the best way, and all you want is that over and over again forever.”
“Yes,” Arwen said. “I want that.”
“I want you,” Iro replied. “Always. Cassia was never my wife, Arwen. I gave her a ring because she saw it somewhere and told me to buy it for her, but I did because it was always easier to give her what she wanted than to argue with her. One day, if you wear a ring that I gave you, it’ll be because I love you and want us to marry.
I’ll propose just like I would have if you’d remained human, and I hope you say yes when I do. ”
She rolled down into her.
“Oh,” Arwen let out.
“Yes, even that feels better.”
“God, do that again,” Arwen requested.
“All day and all night long, if you want,” she said and repeated the motion a few times. “And you’ll come faster, too.”
“You… already make me… come… fast.”