11. Eleven

Eleven

Sunny

"Kayden! You'll never believe what happened!" I bolted from Rainbow's house after leaving my note and checking my work was all done, and rushed to my car to call my friend.

"Sunny? Is everything okay?"

There was so much for me to tell him, so I started with the conversation with Rainbow at the cafe. Kayden had been right that a public place was best, though he probably wouldn't be pleased when I told him I went into Rainbow's house again.

Hopefully Rainbow forgave me once he saw the product of today's little break in. I thought he needed something to make him smile after being so scared. Him being afraid of me wasn't my biggest problem of the day.

"I'm glad you took my advice and met him publicly. I'm also proud you backed off to give him space."

"About that…"

"What did you do?"

"Um, I went back to his house."

There was a long silence on the call, then I heard Kayden sigh. "Sunny, what did I say?"

"He was just so… tired looking, lonely, sad. I did a nice thing for him and left him a note to explain about the ghost—"

"Ghost?"

"There's a little girl ghost attached to the house. A necromancer put her there for the pack—"

"Pack? What the fuck, Sunny?"

"Oh. Did I not say Rainbow lives in pack territory?" I knew I hadn't, but now wasn't the time to ease him into it. I had to rip the bandaid off and tell him everything. Before he could interrupt, I bulldozed ahead.

"There's a Were running it and a bunch of shifters are his neighbors. I guess they put the ghost there to stop people from buying the house, but it didn't stop Rainbow because Daisy, that's the ghost, well, she likes him a lot. She doesn't have long there, so I need to help get Griffin and Rainbow together."

"Griffin? Sunny, you're not making a whole lot of sense. You need to explain."

"Okay, so here's the situation. Rainbow moved into pack territory by accident. There's a ghost in the house called Daisy and she is supposed to stop people from living there, but she really likes Rainbow so wants him to stay. The pack, who are led by a Were called Griffin, seem to be tolerating Rainbow being there, maybe because Rainbow is Griffin's mate."

"But I thought Rainbow was your mate."

"This was the news I had to tell you! Griffin is also my mate! I have two mates, so does Rainbow! Isn't that fantastic?"

I had to look at my phone to check the call was still connected, Kayden was quiet for so long.

"So you are connected to a witch and a Were shifter? Is that right?" His voice was deceptively calm. I knew he was moments from breaking into anger, or more likely, panic, because Kayden had history with Weres. His body was covered in the scars to prove how dangerous they could be.

"Kayden…"

"Sunny, answer me. Is one of your mates a Were shifter?"

Drawing this out would be painful. I had to get him to see that Griffin was a good man. One who puts others safety above his happiness.

"Yes, but he rejected me. Rainbow too."

"Good."

"How can you say that? I know you've got history—"

"Were shifters are dangerous. This one clearly has some sense if he's keeping away from you. I don't want to see you hurt."

"We both know fate will have her way."

My friend was silent as he processed everything. Knowing Kayden, he was looking for a way out of this for me. There wasn't one. Fate did not like to be denied. Griffin would learn this too.

Nothing was going to stop me from having both of my mates in my life. They were a gift. I had two mates, both attractive, kind people I could see myself being happy with. Despite Griffin's prickly exterior, inside he had to be kind to have such loyal pack members.

The bonus was since they were both supernaturals, they had a longer life span. One day I'd be without them, but not any time soon. If I regularly fed them some of my blood… but that was a thought for another time.

Kayden made a noise of frustration, understanding me completely. "I'm asking every witch here to make you all the tonics to protect you and your witch from the Were. You will keep in contact, or I'll send Amara, or David to keep an eye on the situation. Understand?"

"Of course! Thank you, Kayden."

"Sunny?"

"Yes?"

"Please be careful. Fate might have given you two mates as a challenge. We have no idea if you are intended to keep them. I'm not above stealing you and your witch home so you are both safe. The witch might hate me for a while, but I will protect my family."

"I can make this work. Griffin has been hurt, he's scared—"

"Scared animals bite, Sunny. His bite is toxic to you."

"Only mildly." I waved that off, which was a stupid thing to do. Kayden knew how bad a Were bite was.

"If he was to bite you enough times, or if you are hurt badly enough, he could kill you. Not to mention what he could do to the witch. Be careful, protect your other mate. If the Were wants nothing to do with you both, so much the better."

"I don't think it'll be that easy, Kayden. Griffin lives next door to Rainbow—"

"Then get the witch to move. Once you are mated, find a better home away from the other one."

My heart told me it wouldn't be that easy. Griffin was a part of us.

"I mean it, Sunny. Don't make me come there to take you home."

Despite the warning from Griffin, I couldn't stay away from Rainbow. No, I needed to see what he thought of what I'd done. He needed protecting, too, since it didn't seem like Griffin was ready to accept what Rainbow meant to us both.

Getting back to Rainbow's house was easy. I used my extra speed to dash into the bushes at the back of the property, careful to disguise my scent too. It wouldn't do for the pack to find me so soon after I'd been chased away.

The pack had been hard at work, trimming back everything around the house, making it harder for me to hide. They forgot one thing, though. I could climb.

High in a mature tree, with the shadows hiding me, I watched Rainbow's reaction to my gift with delight. He appeared to appreciate the work I'd gone to in order to give him a bedroom which was a sanctuary for him. The color palette he had chosen was so soothing!

Regardless of my issues with Rainbow, I was not stupid. I knew he feared me and that the fear came from a deep seated problem with vampires. The road would be long with Rainbow and this gift was just the start of the wooing I would have to do.

First, I would have to convince him I meant him no harm. In fact, I would protect him from others. I would be his safe place to land in all things.

Trusting me would hopefully turn into affection. Once Rainbow knew I would care for and protect him, I was confident he would soon fall in love with me. His reactions to me in the cafe weren't all fear. I knew he liked my face. My body was better! I'd been in peak physical condition before my turning thanks to my sire taking me away from a life of poverty and training me before giving me the bite that changed my life.

Griffin was a complication I hadn't foreseen in my journey to gaining Rainbow's love. Mate bonds between three people were so rare! In my life I think I'd seen one other throuple with a mating bond. Knowing we had a bond was hard to deal with considering his refusal to acknowledge it.

I'd win him over. There was no way he would be able to resist both fate and my charm!

How to do it was a problem for another day. My focus had to be on Rainbow. He knew what we were and hadn't outright rejected me. Even if he had, it would have been because of what I was, not who I was. All I had to do was show him I was no stereotypical vampire. I didn't even drink from humans all that often, preferring animal blood.

After he read my note and had a little panic about Daisy, the poor thing she was, Rainbow went stalking out of his house towards Griffin's.

Climbing down from the tree, I was stuck trying to hide behind other bushes and even Rainbow's Jeep to hear their conversation.

Rainbow hammered on the door until Griffin, fresh from a shower after his impromptu shift, answered the door.

"What?" he growled at our mate.

His audacity was astounding! I'd make him apologize once I got him to fall in line. There would be no non-consensual growling at our mates in our throuple.

The more I thought about it, the more I came around to the idea of having three of us in this relationship. I was told, often, that I was a lot to handle, so it made sense to have two men, one with a… strong personality, to handle me. Rainbow would be the diplomatic one, Griffin bossy, and me? Well, clearly I was the fun one.

"There's a ghost in my house!"

"Yeah. And?" Griffin lounged against the doorframe in a t-shirt and sweats, refusing to be kind to our mate and invite him inside his house.

"Is that why it wasn't selling? Am I in danger?" Rainbow's tone took on an edge of panic.

"Maybe." Griffin shrugged carelessly. "We put her there to make sure people who shouldn't be here left the pack." That was a pointed remark which missed Rainbow.

"So am I in danger from her?" Rainbow demanded. I could feel how terrified he was from my crouched position. How did Griffin stand it? All I wanted to do was rush to Rainbow and hug him. I'd tell him all about Daisy and how safe he was with her there.

"She has no real power." Rainbow visibly relaxed at Griffin's reassurance. Interesting. He must have been subconsciously feeling the bond and automatically trusted Griffin. Shame he couldn't quite put what I was aside to do the same for me.

"What's she been doing?"

"Sunny told me she said hi and some stuff has been moved."

"You're a witch, right? Deal with her." Damn, Griffin was so cold. He straightened up and closed the door in Rainbow's face.

"Jerk!" Rainbow was furious. Rightly so. Still, I didn't miss the subtle scent of his arousal. He liked Griffin! Even when he was being mean to him.

"Okay, don't panic!" I called as I stood from next to his Jeep. We were a decent distance away from each other, but I was nearer his house than he was.

"I'm going to stay right here, but I can tell you about Daisy. Make you feel better." Please, please accept my help , I mentally urged.

"You're still here?" Rainbow screeched. Honestly, it was kind of adorable.

"I went away but came back to see what you thought of the bedroom," I said softly.

Rainbow deflated and wandered closer. Our bond drew him to me. I stayed as still as a statue, unwilling to scare him off.

"Thank you for doing that for me, especially after earlier." He gave a wry smile. His face was just the best to look at. The clear framed glasses highlighted his pretty hazel eyes. "I just…"

"What I am scares you." The truth was hard to deal with, but I would make him see I was more than a vampire.

"Yes." He held my gaze even as he shortened the distance between us. We were so close I could almost touch him. Keeping my hands off his smooth, soft skin was so difficult!

"I'm not what I am. My actions define who I am." I would repeat that endlessly until I convinced him.

"I'm not sure…"

"That's okay. I'll prove it to you in time. We've got that, haven't we?"

Rainbow's faint smile was encouraging. He didn't quite answer my question. "What can you tell me about Daisy?"

I beamed at him. This was a start, trusting me to help him. "Well, you can't see her, but I can, because, undead."

"Right." His smile grew.

"She really likes you. She was ready to protect you from me but neither of us would ever harm you. She wants to be your friend."

"Yeah?"

"Oh, yes! She wants you to be happy and loves the colors you are painting the house. While she was a little girl when she died, around eight, she's been around a long time now." I frowned, thinking of the little ghost. "An old soul."

"That's so sad! Did she…?" He shook his head. "Was her death bad, is that why she's here?"

"It is sad. I think she stayed because she didn't understand that she'd died, then the necromancer caught her. Carbon monoxide poisoning. Her parents died with her."

"Oh, that's horrible." Rainbow cast a look at the house.

"Her contract is up soon. We'll have to convince the necromancer to let her cross over."

"Are you sure I'm safe from her?"

"Absolutely," I said, firmly. "If you'd like, I can get a spell so you can speak to her yourself." I knew Kayden would have that in one of his many grimoires.

"Really?"

"Sure. Let me call a friend."

Though Rainbow didn't let me into the house, he stood outside with me while Kayden got the spell and texted it to me. Bow, as he preferred to be called, let me have his number so I could send him the spell and I even extracted a promise from him to allow me to finish working on his house for him while he got his shop ready. I'd work up to him giving me a key! Really do things properly.

This was friendship, wasn't it? Friends to lovers was a lovely story arc for us. We'd work on Griffin later.

Speaking of the Were, Griffin was watching us, unnoticed by Bow. I caught the drapes twitching as he tried to hide his curiosity. Could he hear all we were saying?

"Thank you for this, Sunny. I really appreciate you respecting my boundaries after the slip earlier." He was so forgiving! Such a treasure.

"I just wanted to do something—"

"—nice, yeah, and it was." Ugh, he was so sweet! I just wanted to hug him to me and never let go. Until he plunged the knife in. "You can't keep breaking in, though. I need to feel safe in my house."

"But—"

"No, Sunny," he said firmly. "Be here at eight tomorrow morning and I will let you in." I could tell by his expression there was no arguing with him. Still, he was willingly spending time with me. That was a start.

"We can have breakfast together." He thought for a second. "Do you eat normal food?"

"I do! It helps me not need to feed as often," I said proudly.

"And how do you feed? I mean, how do you get blood?" He was frowning again. I didn't like that expression on his sweet face.

"Oh, I tend to drink pig or cow, mostly." Bow jolted in surprise. "I only ever drink human blood with consent and usually only when having sex or if I'm injured."

"That's a bit TMI." I noted Bow looked pleased about this even as he blushed a little. Was that a point in my favor? It was best I left before I put my foot in it and lost ground with him.

"Sorry. I better go. See you in the morning." I gave him my best smile, probably overkill as he sort of winced.

"Please do the spell soon, so you know Daisy just wants to look after you. I think she would appreciate having someone to talk to. I think she's lonely."

That got me a genuine full smile. "I will. Thank you, Sunny."

"Be safe, Bow."

Rainbow trusted me enough to turn his back and enter the house, closing and locking the door behind him. I saw Daisy smiling and giving me a thumbs up in the living room window. Fingers crossed she helped me gain Rainbow's favor as well as keeping him safe when I couldn't.