Testing limits

Joey woke slowly.

Warmth.

That was the first thing he noticed.

Two arms draped over him from opposite sides.

Warmth on one side of him, coolness on the other. Tangled legs, soft skin, slow breathing. His groggy brain took several sleepy seconds to process why he appeared to be sandwiched between two incredibly attractive women.

Then memory came crashing back all at once.

The hunters.

The fight.

The fear.

And afterward…

Everything else.

“…Holy shit,” he whispered to himself.

Crystal stirred first at the sound of his voice. Her hair was a chaotic red mess spread across Joey’s shoulder, one leg thrown over his waist possessively.

“Morning,” she mumbled sleepily.

Joey blinked at her.

“You’re still here.”

Crystal opened one eye.

“That is usually how sleeping over works.”

Before Joey could answer, Cassandra’s voice drifted from the other side of the bed.

“He is in shock.”

“I am absolutely in shock,” Joey admitted.

Cassandra shifted slightly, dark hair spilling across the pillow as she looked at him with open amusement. Unlike Crystal, she looked perfectly composed despite very obviously having just woken up.

It was unfair.

“You six times in one night and he still doubts himself,” Cassandra teased lazily.

Joey immediately buried his face in his hands.

Crystal started cackling.

“Oh my God,” Joey groaned from behind his fingers. “Can we not discuss my performance review at eight in the morning?”

“No,” Crystal answered instantly.

“Absolutely not,” Cassandra agreed.

Joey peeked between his fingers at the two women smiling at him.

And despite himself—

he smiled too.

Something about the scene felt strangely peaceful.

Dangerous supernatural insanity aside.

The three of them stayed tangled together for a while longer, the earlier intensity replaced with lazy affection and teasing touches. Crystal absentmindedly traced circles against Joey’s chest while Cassandra rested quietly beside him, one pale hand draped possessively across his stomach.

And through the bond Joey felt something from Cassandra that startled him slightly.

Contentment.

Real contentment.

Not lust.

Not amusement.

Peace.

The feeling hit him unexpectedly hard.

Cassandra noticed immediately.

Her crimson eyes flicked toward him knowingly.

“You see how dangerous you are to me now, don’t you?” she asked softly. “You don’t know how long it’s been since I felt this way about… anyone.”

Crystal glanced between them.

“So you just feel everything she feels?”

“Not everything,” Joey answered carefully. “Just… strong stuff.”

Crystal frowned.

“That still sounds fake.”

Joey laughed quietly. “Trust me, it’s weird for me too.”

A brief silence settled over the room.

Comfortable.

Then Cassandra suddenly sat upright.

Every trace of warmth vanished from her expression instantly.

Joey felt the emotional shift through the bond like ice water down his spine.

Alert.

Predatory.

Danger.

“What?” Joey asked immediately, sitting up.

Cassandra held up one finger.

The apartment went silent.

Then—

A soft metallic click echoed from somewhere outside the apartment.

Crystal frowned. “Was that—”

The symbol Cassandra had carved beside the bedroom door suddenly glowed deep red.

All three of them froze.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” Crystal whispered.

Another sound.

Movement outside the apartment.

Slow footsteps.

Joey was already out of bed before he consciously decided to move.

Adrenaline drowned out embarrassment remarkably fast.

Cassandra moved next, fluid and terrifyingly quick. One moment she was beside Joey, the next she had crossed the room and retrieved one of Greta’s rune-covered blades from the dresser drawer.

She tossed an amulet to Joey and another to Crystal.

“Put those on,” she hissed. “They’ll keep you alive long enough to get to a hospital if I fail.”

Crystal immediately slipped hers over her head, clutching the blanket tightly around herself.

“Please tell me that’s one of your alarms and not the ‘we’re all about to die’ light,” Joey said as he dropped the amulet over his head.

“It is both,” Cassandra answered calmly.

Joey’s stomach dropped.

A heavy thud hit the apartment door.

Not a knock.

A test.

Someone checking the strength.

Another thud followed.

Then silence.

Joey could hear his own pulse.

Crystal’s rapid breathing.

And underneath it—

faint movement outside.

More than one person.

Cassandra’s eyes narrowed.

“Three heartbeats,” she murmured.

“Hunters?” Joey whispered.

“Most likely.”

Crystal looked horrified.

“We are naked. I would like to formally complain about the timing.”

Oddly enough, that almost made Joey laugh.

Instead, he moved quickly toward the living room, grabbing clothes off the floor while Cassandra stayed focused on the door.

“You stay behind me,” Joey said automatically.

Cassandra actually looked annoyed.

“I am significantly harder to kill than you.”

“Still doing it.”

“Joey—”

“Nope. Not debating it.”

Crystal stared between them.

“…Wow. That actually works on her now.”

“It does not,” Cassandra snapped immediately.

Another loud bang shook the apartment door.

This time the frame creaked.

Crystal yelped.

Joey finished pulling on his jeans and grabbed the heavy iron fireplace poker leaning beside the couch.

“Okay,” he said nervously. “Bad news? I don’t think this is enough weapon.”

Cassandra stepped beside him smoothly.

“No,” she agreed. “But you with it is surprisingly effective.”

“That might be the hottest encouragement I’ve ever received.”

Crystal threw on one of Joey’s oversized shirts while muttering, “I cannot believe this is my life now.”

She looked around desperately before spotting the special wine from Greta’s. The bottle was empty, but apparently even the memory of it was comforting.

The glowing symbol beside the front door suddenly flickered violently.

Then—

A scream erupted outside the apartment.

Not from inside.

From the hallway.

A man’s voice.

Agonized.

Followed by another scream.

Then silence.

Everyone froze.

Joey looked toward Cassandra slowly.

“…Was that one of your traps?”

Cassandra tilted her head slightly, listening.

Then smiled.

Cold.

Sharp.

Predatory.

“Yes.”

Crystal stared at her.

“…Remind me never to break into your house.”

Another voice shouted from outside:

“Fall back!”

Rapid footsteps followed immediately afterward.

Retreating.

Cassandra relaxed slightly.

“They’re leaving.”

Joey blinked.

“That’s it?”

“For tonight,” Cassandra corrected.

The apartment fell quiet again except for everyone breathing hard.

Crystal slowly sank onto the couch.

“…I need more of that wine,” Cassandra groaned.

“Don’t tell me you have a drinking problem now,” Joey said with a wink.

“I’m evolving,” Cassandra replied with a smirk.

Joey let out a shaky breath and lowered the fireplace poker.

Adrenaline still hammered through him.

Cassandra stepped closer, placing one cool hand gently against his chest.

“You stood your ground again,” she said softly.

Joey looked down at her.

“I was terrified.”

“Yes,” Cassandra murmured. “Courage is acting anyway.”

Crystal looked up from the couch.

“Okay, I hate to interrupt the emotionally attractive moment happening over there…”

Joey snorted.

“…but are we just ignoring the fact that vampire hunters tried to **** us during a threesome?”

A beat of silence.

Then Joey burst out laughing.

Cassandra actually covered her mouth trying not to smile.

Crystal pointed dramatically.

“THANK YOU. Finally someone acknowledges how insane this all is.”

Joey dropped onto the couch beside her, exhausted laughter slowly fading.

Then he looked toward Cassandra again.

She still stood near the glowing protection symbols, knife in hand, dark hair messy from sleep, eyes still faintly red from the hunt.

Beautiful.

Dangerous.

Watching over them.

And for the first time since all this insanity began—

Joey realized this wasn’t temporary anymore.

Whatever this strange relationship between the three of them had become…

it was real now.