"Those don't sound like hormone talking for me, dear. Those sound like real feelings for three very different men who each to a different part of you," Mrs. Hemsworth smiled like a mother who was satisfied with the answer given by the prospective daughter-in-law to her sons.
"But that's insane," Lilian protested weakly. "You can't be in love with three people at the same time."
"Why not?"
"Because… because that's not how love works. You fall in love with one person because you choose and commit to them. You don't just collect a group of partners like~"
"Like vampires have been doing for centuries?" Mrs. Hemsworth interrupted with a gentle smile. "Dear, you aren't human anymore. Human social rules about relationships don't necessarily apply to you now. Multiple mates are normal in vampire cultures, even expected in certain circumstances."
"My family would never accept that," Lilian said quietly, still not accepting the reality. "My parents are traditional. They'd think I was crazy or brainwashed or something."
"Your family doesn't have to understand everything about your new life," Mrs. Hemsworth replied calmly. "That's between you and the princess. All that matters is your happiness and your safety."
Lilian went back to her stew, eating more slowly now as her thoughts churned through the vampire logic Mrs. Hemsworth had said. But that didn't make it feel any less overwhelming.
"Can I ask you something?" Lilian said after a few minutes of silence.
"Of course, dear."
"Why are you helping me? You're human, right? Why do you work for vampires? Aren't you scared of them?"
The old lady's expression turned thoughtful. "I am human, yes. And as for why I work here… that's a long story. To put it simply, these men saved my life forty years ago when I was in a bad situation, and they intervened when no one else would. I've stayed ever since as repayment."
"Are they good employers?"
"They're fair and they pay well. They've never threatened me or made me feel unsafe."
Mrs. Hemsworth smiled slightly, as if remembering how the vampire princes were. "They can be arrogant and demanding, as princes often are. But they are good men at their core. Or as good as centuries-old vampires can be, anyway."
"Have they ever… you know…" Lilian asked, gesturing vaguely. "Had other women? Other potential mates?"
"Hmmm. Not in the time I've known them. They had companions over the years as vampires need blood and intimacy to stay healthy. But no one they chose as mate. You're the first."
Mrs. Hemsworth studied her closely. "Does that bother you? Knowing they've been with others?"
"…I don't know," Lilian admitted honestly. "They've lived for centuries. It would be stupid to expect them to have been untouched. Still… it's strange thinking about them with other women when I'm sitting here wanting them for myself."
"That's just the mate bond talking, making you possessive, and that's perfectly normal."
She stood up and collected Lilian's empty bowl. "My advice is simple, dear. Stop overthinking everything. The princes are giving you time to adjust, so use that. Get to know them as people, not just as these powerful vampires, and then decide what you want."
"And if I decide I want all three?" Lilian asked tentatively.
"Then you'll have three happy vampire princes and a very interesting life ahead of you," Mrs. Hemsworth replied with a playful wink. "Now go get some rest. You look worn out, and you'll need strength for whatever they have planned for this afternoon."
Lilian slid off the bar stool, feeling a bit more grounded than when she had first entered the kitchen. Mrs. Hemsworth's straightforward and sensible perspective had managed to turn something impossible into something she could at least face.
"Thank you," she said sincerely. "For the food and the advice."
"Anytime, dear. That's what I'm here for."
——
Lilian headed back upstairs to her bedroom, intending to follow Mrs. Hemsworth's advice and get some rest. But when she reached the top of the stairs, she found Lucien was leaning against the wall right next to her door.
He had changed his suit for dark jeans and a black t-shirt that showed off his muscular arms. His green eyes followed her approach with an intensity that made her heart skip.
"Hey," he said, pushing off the wall. "Got a minute?"
"Sure," Lilian replied, doing her best to sound normal. "What's up?"
"I wanted to talk to you, alone. Without Dante breathing down our necks about rules and Adrian being all noble and restrained." Lucien nodded toward her door. "Can we talk in there? Or would be that too much temptation for you?"
His bluntness should have annoyed her. Instead, it made her smile.
"I think I can control myself," she said dryly, opening the door.
"Shame," Lucien muttered as he followed her inside. "I was kind of hoping you couldn't."
Lilian rolled her eyes but couldn't quite hiding her grin. She sat down on the edge of her bed while Lucien dropped into the chair by the window, lounging back like he owned the place.
For a few seconds, they just looked at each other, neither of them spoke. Lilian became more aware of him, noticing details she had somehow missed before.
The thin scar on his left eyebrow, the messy red hair fell across his forehead. And the slight curve to his lips like hinting he was always on the verge of smirking.
He was beautiful in a rough, dangerous sort of way. Not pretty and softly elegant like Adrian or coldly perfect like Dante. Just masculine and entirely too attractive for her peace of mind.
"You're staring," Lucien said, the smirk finally breaking free in his lips.
"So are you," Lilian shot back.
"Yeah, but I'm not pretending otherwise."
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and pinning her with a serious look. "Look, I'm suck at the whole subtle approach thing. So I'm just gonna be straight with you."
Lilian swallowed. "Okay…"
"I want you," Lucien said bluntly. "I fucking want you. I have since the moment you woke up and looked at me with those gold-flecked eyes. It's driving me insane that I have to hold back because Dante keeps insisting you need space, and Adrian being the patient gentleman."