Artificial Mates - Chapter 5

The showerhead dripped, the sound echoed in the small room. I watched the water spiraled down the drain. I leaned forward, pressing my forehead against the cold tile. What was I doing? I needed to sit down with them and talk. I closed my eyes and exhaled desperately trying to slow down my pounding heart.

“Liliane?” a light knock on my door made me jumped. I quickly pushed away from the wall and reached for a towel to wrap around my body.

“Yes? What’s the matter?” I called. Extending my hand grabbed another towel to dry my wet hair.

“I was only checking if you were ok,” I rolled my eyes at Grant’s comment. What the hell, really? Was he worried I’ve slipped in the shower and died or something? This little house invasion really needed some rules.

“I’ll be right there. We need some serious talk,” I muttered partly to myself. I walked to my drawer and got my underwear on.

“Ok, Liliane I’ll get Demos,” I looked up in a panic. What? I hopped into my bear patterned pajamas and awkwardly went through the pile of clothes still resting on my bed. Without my glasses on it made everything look hazy.

“Can we come in?” I grabbed the first thing that touched my hand and yanked it over my head. I struggled to get it on.

“Liliane?” called Grant again growing impatient. I jumped around to force it on.

“Wait!” I shouted out of breath. My big toe bumped into the bed making me scream in pain. The door flung open and two pairs of concerned eyes lay on me half stuck with my hot pink shirt with my belly exposed.

“What…?” started Demos staring at me in genuine surprise. Then Grant burst out laughing.

“What happened here?” he said between laughter.

“Shut up! I’m stuck and knocked my toe in that stupid bed,” I glared at them between the tangled locks of my hair. Demos took rapid steps towards me as the stupid elf laughed his ass off. He reached his hand to get my hair out of the way.

“Wait! I… I don’t…” I protested yet he was already pushing my hair away. He paused.

“What?” he said with an annoyed face. “Don’t want my help?” his eyes stared right into mine. The blurry image of his golden eyes looked like abstract art. I swallowed, trying to calm down my crazy heart. He was unreasonably close; all I wanted was to get away. His hand lightly brushed against my exposed belly. I shivered from the contact then quickly averted my eyes. When he was done, he turned and left without a word. He stood next to Grant by the door. Grant grinned at me. I pulled on my shirt, feeling terribly self-conscious.

“Mm… you wanted to talk to us?” Grant cleared this throat. My head rose in their direction. I took a couple of seconds to gather my chaotic thoughts.

“Yes… we need house rules. Cause it looks like Sognare is going to make this hard for me,” I instinctively placed both of my hands over my head and sighed. I marched to my nightstand to retrieve my glasses and put them on before turning to them.

“Sit!” I ordered. I sunk in my bed, pushing the clothes a little to get enough space. Grant came to join me on the edge without protest. Demos remained by the door, frowning. I exhaled with exasperation. Right, that guy hated orders. I forgot he didn’t like to be treated like a dog. The freaking alpha thing.

“Please, I need to talk,” I said without making eye contact. He crossed his arms over his chest.

“Your bed can’t support my weight,” I stared at him not getting it. He pressed his lips into a hard line.

“What?” I gestured at him. Grant came closer and covered his mouth as if sharing a secret.

“He will literally break the bed if he sits on it,” I snapped my face in his direction. You’re kidding me, right? I thought. Grant just nodded with dismay as if reading my mind.

“Ok, whatever. Just sit anywhere you want. You, looking down on me is giving me anxieties,” I waved at him. With a sigh, Demos came to sit with him back against the bed facing away from me. My feet, inches from him. I could feel the heat radiating from him.

“Mm… well. How do I start?” I pulled my legs up and hugged them. “House rules no1. Don’t just barge into my room. Have some decent guys like really… and keep your hands to yourselves,” I gave a quick peek at Demos. The top of the head had a swirl where the hair started, then making a circular pattern. Do natural hair do that? It was too perfect to look real. I averted my eyes, fearing to get lost in contemplation.

“Rules no. 2… ok wait. I should be asking about the thing you do…” my mind was going in circles. Grant reached and rubbed my back. I closed my eyes, massaging the wrinkles forming between my eyebrows.

“What did I just say about keeping your hands to yourself?” he flashed a big wide smile at me without taking his hand back. When I open mouth to protest Demos looked up, his eyes locked on Grant. They were icy blue. Grant lifted both his arms up in surrender.

“Ok! Ok! No need to be territorial! Damn, why so serious?” my eyes darted between my two mates. What was with the blue eyes thing? I just shoved it away from now.

“Now tell me how is this thing going to happen? I don’t understand this,” I waved a finger in the space separating us. Grant shifted on the bed making it creaked.

“We are one and yet we are two,” he exhaled while looking away. Demos looked up at us in silence.

“What is that? Some riddle I need to solve. Are we going on a treasure hunt thing now?” I threw my arms in the air exasperated with the slow explanation.

“We love you equally…” started Demos.

“More like you were programmed to…” I commented feeling doubtful about this whole business. A heavy silence followed my comment. Demos glared at me and Grant suddenly found some stain on the window super interesting. Should I apologize? Did I hurt their feelings or something? When the silence became too pressing, I cleared my throat.

“Well, since this is going to happen. Like I can’t send you back, right?” I laughed nervously. Grant didn’t move he kept facing away and I couldn’t see his expression.

“When you did the voice control… it meant you accepted us. You’ll have to reset us to factory setting if you want to send us away. That will wipe all our memories, the settings, your references, our experience with you… like nothing ever happened,” explained Demos in a bored voice. More silence followed. Well, that was unexpected. I never saw it from their point of view.

“Mm, so can we like… make it work, then? I don’t want to be the bad guy, however, I’m a little lost here. You do understand that my whole life has just flipped over like… I don’t know. This thing with two guys,” I was literally speaking with my hands to get my thoughts across. “I’m not ready,” I ended up whispering.

“I… we were made to love you. Nobody gave us a choice?” said Demos staring straight into my eyes. I felt a sting in my stomach like I got punched. Grant got off the bed rocking me in the process. I lost focus on Demos’ face and turned to him. He walked to the door, then paused with his back towards us.

“My battery is at its limit, Demos will guard you tonight,” with that he left without saying Goodnight. He quietly closed the door behind him. Did I say something wrong?

“I don’t need a guard,” I shook my head.

“I was made to keep my house safe; protect my pack… my partners. I’ll keep watch in the living room,” he got to his feet marched to the door but stopped to look at me.

“Goodnight from both of us,” he exited without looking back. What’s with all the drama? Somehow, all of this felt forced, we were in this situation without our consent. The worse was they were programmed to love me. It’s so sick. I was wrong about all of this. I shouldn’t have placed that order.

That night I tossed and turned without being able to fall asleep. At two am, I gave up and threw the sheets away. My stomach rumbled, I remember I didn’t have dinner. When I stepped into the living room it was dark with only the two flashing lights of the pods that cast a green light on some parts of the kitchen. Didn’t Demos say he would keep watch?

“Lights,” I said and overhead spotlights gradually lit up, bathing the room in a warm orange glow. Then the kitchen floor spots switched on. A dark silhouette lounging over one of the couches made me jump. My heart raced against my ribcage. Demos’ copper eyes shimmered in the gloom.

“Damn it! What the hell are you doing in the dark?” I snapped at him. He replied with a slow smile.

“Shouldn’t you be in bed?” he narrowed his eyes at me.

“Your drama kept me for dinner. If you really want my well-being you should at least let me eat,” I said as I walked to the kitchen. Retrieved my dinner from the fridge, then dumped the content on a plate that I stuffed in the oven. I leaned against the counter, crossing my arms over my chest while waiting for the food to heat. My eyes roamed to Grant’s pod.

“Does he dream when he is in that?” I thought aloud.

“We, unlike cyborgs are made to resemble humans. Sadly, we don’t dream, but we replay our memories,” he paused and his face grew sad. “Yet we have no will of our own,” he got to his feet. I shifted uncomfortably. Was he coming over here?

“You… mmh… would like to have free will?” I tried to regain my calm but my racing heart betrayed me. He crossed the distance between us in three steps. I instinctively moved back.

“Liliane, I wasn’t designed to answer this question… it speaks loads, doesn’t it?” he was too close and the counter prevented all chance of escape. I lifted my face to him.

“Here you can be anything you like. There’s nothing preventing you,” the quiver in my voice betrayed my nervousness. His eyes dropped to my lips. His head tilted to the side. I sucked in a shaky breathe with my eyes wide.

“I’m property. Merely an object you order around,” his face was way too close to mine. He closed his eyes, long lashes brushing his cheeks. I had difficulty breathing. The oven beeped and he pulled away. I sighed in relief. Damn, that was… What was he saying already?

We sat in silence as I ate whatever was on my plate. I had no memory what I bought earlier. All of it seemed so far away. I switched on the TV, the slim screen hanging on the wall flashed images I couldn’t follow. Not having my glasses didn’t help. I doubt I could, even if I wore them. I drunk a glass of water to wash the spicy aftertaste. I don’t remember when I drifted to sleep. Only that I had terrible dreams with darkness trying to drown me.