Carmen was fine with having people over that evening, but not too pleased luring them with the experimental diet pill. Nonetheless, she wasn't angry. I didn't get a call from Zenia until past sunset as she apparently vilified me to her boyfriend. Hell, I did the same thing with Carmen about her.

"She's your rival, yet you're friends again?" Carmen asked as she stirred some congee in a pot.

"We'll be rivals again once I one-up her on how my life has been better than hers."

"Seriously, rivals who make sure you don't succeed in life and act all pompous aren't ones to make amends." She put the lid back on then faced me. "So, did she steal a potential lover of yours or did you invent that just to blow off steam?"

"To be honest, it's both. She did kill a friend I made because her blood smelled sweet, but consequently got indigestion because she had hepatitis. Or was it something else? As far as I know, it was something detectable in blood."

Carmen let out a tiny chuckle as she gave the congee a stir. "You could steal her man if he's hot. Seems fair for what she did."

Just as we were talking about Zenia and her boyfriend, the buzzer went off. After letting them in, Carmen warned, "If this friend of yours starts behaving like a bitch I will cast her out."

"Fair enough."

A knock on the door and I let them inside the apartment. I expected less from her when she commented on the appearance of the place.

"Out of all the high-rises in this city you chose to live in a shitty, two-bedroom apartment. I've seen better decorated oriental themed rooms than this."

"Glad you like it," Carmen retorted. "I arranged it in case we get a visit from Her Royal Highness." She faced me and said, "You're right about her being a pompous bitch."

"Watch your tongue, mortal!" Zenia had to act like a pompous bitch. Carmen's words, not mine, but I'll take it.

"Maybe you should watch yours!" Carmen waved the spoon at her as a priest splashing the congregation with holy water. "It's my flat, and I expel you in three seconds."

Zenia kept her mouth shut, but boyfriend, all tattooed, muscular and curly-haired, placed an arm around her and said some things to her. Something along the lines of "That's okay, baby, you know I always treat you like a queen." He did the thing where he puts a finger under her chin just to bring her head close to his. He even licked the rice grain off her cheek. Gross!

"If you continue with your bratty behaviour," I said stepping up to side with Carmen, "you're not getting a look at the diet pill." Once I've composed myself I continued, "Anyway, this is my roommate, Carmen. Carmen, this is Zenia and her boyfriend. She never told me your name."

Boyfriend broke away from Zenia for a moment while running a hand through his bleach-blond coils. "Name's Brendan," he said with a heavy accent from New Zealand. Perhaps he was from South Africa but he clarified that by adding, "I'm from Brisbane."

"Yes, yes, nice to meet you," Carmen said while nodding her head in an exaggerated, slow manner. In a hoarse whisper she asked me, "Is that a mole or a soul patch?"

I elbowed Carmen. While I agree the brown spot below his lip was questionable, I thought it resembled both since there was hair sticking out from it. Carmen of course buckled from my elbow but as soon as she recovered, she walked into the kitchen to get the congee.

"Well, come on," Zenia said as she and Brendan sat on one couch. He had to sanitize the spot before she even took her seat. "Are you gonna show us the stuff or not? We're in a hurry."

"Then why are you sitting down?" I asked as I took a box from underneath the TV stand.

"That's not your concern, now show us!"

Something about Zenia's tone informed me she was hiding her fear. Her outward bitchiness was quite the armour, but it was cracked in a couple of places. I also examined Brendan. He too had his own armour though it was more of a cheap, carnival mask.

Just as I was about to open the box and reveal the contents, Carmen beat me to them with her congee. "I hope my food is high class enough for you. It's what you get for showing up here on short notice." She mostly stared at Brendan and his tattoos and immediately recognized one of them. "Is that a spirit binding tattoo?"

Brendan nearly bounced off the couch into the ceiling, but his face beamed. He lifted a fur gauntlet to expose the ink. "You have a good eye. Have you one too?"

"I don't, but I was planning on getting something like it. A friend told me I shouldn't since it's used to attach an animal spirit to a human. You aren't by any chance a shapeshifter, are you?"

I shuffled over to Carmen's side to examine the tattoo. Some strange writing formed a circle, and in the middle of said circle was an animal. Said animal appeared to be a dog or a wolf. Whatever the canine creature was, the tattooist used spirals to create it.

Zenia looked at Brendan and she sported a worried expression. "Don't," she whispered.

He ignored her and explained to Carmen, "Not exactly, but it's an easier term. I didn't get nicked or bit by a wolf, but sort of initiated into it."

Carmen raised an eyebrow. "Initiated? As in?"

"As part of the frat. New pledges were forced to become wolf shifters or killed in ritual sacrifices." He scratched his head then continued, "I'm not sure what kind of university allows such an organization to exist, but apparently it does. My G.P.A. after my first year was great, and I wanted to live somewhere that wasn't a dump of a dorm room. So I joined the frat not knowing they're a shamanic shapeshifter pack. And here I am."

After the mentions of "wolf" and the fact he was in a relationship with a vampire, Carmen made fun of their situation. "That's cool. And you two are quite the star-crossed lovers, aren't you? Kinda like Selene and Michael."

Zenia stood up to stomp around in a circle. It was a good thing Draven no longer haunted the apartment or else that would've gotten his attention. The vase broke from her stomping. On second thought, he would've been hanging with us the moment they set foot.

"I told you not to say anything, especially in front of her!" By her she meant me.

"Did I strike a nerve?" Carmen whispered to me.

"Apparently you did."

"Great," Zenia muttered, "now she's going to make sure we'll never be together. She's going to sabotage our relationship ..."

Brendan stood up and walked over to her. "Calm down, Zee. Remember why we're here, okay?"

"You want me to calm down?" She pointed at me without turning her head. "You had to mention you're a werewolf in presence of someone connected to the higher ups of my clan."

And I'd thought he'd stop her seething rage. Yet the issue was with me. Considering we've been frenemies for many decades I had to step in "Zenia, that's enough!"

Within seconds, she calmed down. As for Carmen, I gave her the shivers again.

"I hate it when you use the voice," She said after picking up a broom and dustpan.

"Carmen, I have no fucking idea what you're talking about." I took a deep breath and redirected my attention to Zenia. "Look, we've been at each other's necks nearly every encounter. And yes, I'm still pissed you stole my glory for that one village, but I will not throw you under a horse cart. I'm doing my best to stay away from old world thinking. You are too, aren't you?"

Zenia looked down and gave her head a tiny shake. "You're right. Brendan and I aren't here on some tourist trip. We're hiding from our clans. It's nothing to do with shapeshifter-vampire rivalry, since I can change into a flock of bats. The clan's position on werewolves is negative and you know that, Ileana."

Carmen sat on the couch opposite the couple. "Just werewolves?"

"Werewolves are up there, but majority of clan people, at least the ones I grew up around, are quite purist." I parked next to Carmen and continued, "They take mating seriously, and I mean mating; none of that romance and fall in love type stuff. It's all about hardcore fucking and increasing the chances of the woman bearing a vampire child."

"So, half vampires?" Carmen asked.

"Dhampir is okay if they're not any form of other supernatural creature in their other half," Zenia answered. "Brendan's a shamanic shifter and his wolf changing powers won't transfer over if we have offspring. The clan overlooks that part."

"The only way they'll accept me is as her sex slave," Brendan added on. "As much as I enjoy getting punished by her, it's not something I'm up for every time we have a root."

"We've heard things about the Metropolis: how it's a supernatural hotbed and how everyone is oblivious or passive to our existence. It's a place where our relationship can be accepted." Zenia folded her hands. "Past transgressions aside, we'd be glad if you help us."

Carmen stood up and wagged a finger for me to follow her into the bathroom. Once she closed the door behind her she whispered, "Are they staying with us or not?"

"Definitely not, but I can't think of any other places to hide them."

"You lived in the Metropolis more than once yet you don't know where to hide them?"

"Any good places. Talia may have room in the Tavern, but they can't live there for the rest of their lives. If they can survive living in the Projects, they can hide there, but I don't think Zenia would want to."

Carmen leaned against the door. "The Projects are the place if someone's looking for a rich, socialite type and tattooed, pretty boy with a mole patch."

"She's just asking for help. We don't need to lock them in a fallout shelter. If anyone from the clans come searching, say you haven't seen them. And be careful when you do that since there's usually a lie detector in a hunting party."

"I can put on a poker face. I'm good with poker faces." She sighed then opened the door. As I followed her out, she turned her head to face me as I was the one who got her into this mess.

After taking in a deep breath I gave them our answer. "We'll help. We can't house you or let you stay, but we'll make sure anyone following you will be thrown off your trail."

"And here I was looking forward to late night slumber parties where we paint our toenails and play truth or dare," Zenia snarked.

"We can ask Talia if she knows of some places." Brendan pulled her in closer. "She's good with helping runaways I hear."

"I love you, Baby," She said while drawing circles on his chest.

"I love you too, Zee," he said before the two of them French kissed.

Carmen placed her hands on my shoulders and shook me a bit. "I'll let you see them out while I puke in the bathroom."

Great. She left me to puke in the kitchen sink. As much as we wished them gone after arriving at that solution, they stayed for the congee.

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As yes, forbidden lovers. Who doesn't love a story that features members of two opposing factions falling in love? Okay, maybe if it's overused or you hate love stories, but it's something that happens in real life too. While I wouldn't call them opposing factions but from different backgrounds. While I won't ask about personal relationships for the interactive, I will ask this: Have you ever had to help out someone you didn't get along with? I won't delve into complex family relationships, but it could be a project that you were forced into a group with at school.

And of course, if you like what you've read so far, show your support. Think there's something that can be improved? Feel free to mention.

Song featured: "Into the Night" by Santana featuring Chad Kroger.

Edited: 05/12/2018