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The old cabin creaked softly under the weight of another Pacific Northwest storm. Rain drummed steadily against the tin roof, a constant, soothing rhythm that usually lulled Y/N to sleep nestled between her two mates. Tonight, or rather, this gray morning. It felt like an unwelcome companion to the ache settling deep in her bones.

Y/N shifted under the heavy quilt, her skin flushed and clammy. The fever had crept in overnight, turning what she’d dismissed as a minor scratch in her throat into something heavier. Her head throbbed in time with her pulse, and every breath felt just a little too warm.

James stood by the far window, arms crossed tightly over his chest. His golden eyes, usually bright with predatory amusement, were narrowed in clear displeasure. He hadn’t moved closer than ten feet since Y/N first mentioned feeling off. The hunter in him was restless, muscles coiled beneath his pale skin as if ready to catch any enemy he couldn’t see or scent properly.

— She smells different, Vic.— he said abruptly, voice low and edged with frustration. — Not like our mate.—

Victoria, who was laying next to Y/N, analysing every little movement she made, responded in a calm voice, trying to calm him down. — It’s just a cold, James. Humans get them all the time. It’ll pass in a few days.— Even though she was trying to calm him down, he could sense a slight tone of concern in her voice. — She’s going to be fine.—

He let out a short, sharp breath that wasn’t quite a laugh. — A few days?— James paced once, boots silent on the worn floorboards despite his agitation. He ran a hand through his messy hair, the same hand that could snap a tree branch without effort. “I hunt. I track. I end things. This… this is nothing I can chase down.—

Victoria crawled to the edge of the bed, her fiery red hair cascading over one shoulder like liquid flame. She watched James with that familiar sharp intelligence, the same calculating gaze she used when assessing escape routes or potential threats. Unlike her mate, she wasn’t pacing or growling. But the faint tension in her posture revealed her own quiet unease. Vampires didn’t get sick. Humans did. And their third, their warm, fragile Y/N, was a reminder of just how different their worlds remained.

— James.— Victoria said calmly, her voice carrying the faint lilt of her long-ago human accent. — Pacing isn’t helping her. Or you.—

He shot her a look, half irritation, half something vulnerable he rarely showed. — And what exactly am I supposed to do, Vic? Stand here and watch as she dies? She’s burning up and I can’t do a damn thing about it.— His jaw clenched. For a moment, the cocky tracker who had once thrilled at the chase looked genuinely lost. He took one hesitant step toward the bed, nostrils flaring at the fever scent, then stopped short and turned away again. The distance he put between them stung more than the headache.

Y/N opened her eyes softly, reached out a trembling hand and spoke with a soft voice, due to the lack of physical force she was feeling. —James… it’s okay. Come here.—

He hesitated, fingers twitching at his sides. The anger wasn’t directed at her, it was at himself, at the helplessness clawing at his instincts. — I don’t want to make it worse.— he muttered. — What if I can’t control— He cut himself off, shaking his head sharply before walking back to the kitchen area. Anything to move, to keep himself distracted from the fact that his mate was sick.

Victoria sighed softly, a very human sound for someone who hadn’t needed to breath in over a century. She slid closer on the mattress, her cool body a blessed contrast to Y/N’s overheated one. She hugged her softly, trying to get her mate's body temperature down without underheating her. Her gentle fingers brushed damp strands of hair from Y/N’s forehead, lingering there to gauge the heat.

— You’re too warm.— Victoria murmured. Her touch was careful, almost reverent, the same protective precision she used when shielding their little trio from the world. — Let me take care of you.—

Y/N leaned into the cool palm, eyes fluttering shut for a moment. — That actually feels very nice.— She chuckled softly, finally feeling some relief from her body fighting a virus that made her feel like she was being burned at the stake.

A small, rare smile touched Victoria’s lips. She adjusted the quilt, tucking it loosely around Y/N’s shoulders before stroking slow, soothing patterns along her arm. — I remember these things from before.— she said quietly, almost to herself. — When I was human. My sister always used to take care of me when i was sick, she had ways. Herbs. Simple things that eased fevers when doctors were useless or too far away.—

James paused his restless movements to listen, golden eyes flicking toward them. He didn’t come closer, but he didn’t leave the room either.

Victoria continued, voice steady and low, the strategist planning her next careful move. — We’ll start with what we have here. Then you-...— she glanced meaningfully at James, — go into town for proper human medicine.—

He bristled visibly. — I’m not leaving her like this.—

— You are.— Victoria replied firmly, though not unkindly. — Because standing there growling helps no one.— She looked at Y/N with a soft smile.— She’s under my care James, I won't let anything happen to her.— Her head slowly turned back to him to lock eyes within a second. — She needs fever reducers, something for the aches, and perhaps broth if her stomach settles. Go. Be useful, my hunter.—

James stared at both of them for a long beat, the man warring with the mate who hated being separated. Finally, he crossed the room in two long strides and stopped beside the bed. His hand hovered over Y/N’s before he let it rest lightly on her wrist, thumb tracing the too-warm skin with unexpected tenderness.

— Don’t get any worse while i’m gone...— he ordered gruffly, though his eyes betrayed the worry. — I’ll be fast. I promise.—

Y/N squeezed his fingers weakly. — Be safe.—

He gave a short nod, something like his usual smirk attempting to surface but falling flat. Then he was gone in a blur, the cabin door clicking shut behind him with barely a sound.

The room felt quieter without his restless energy. Victoria turned her full attention to Y/N, helping her sit up against the pillows. — He’ll return soon enough. In the meantime, let’s see what I can remember.—

She moved to the small kitchen with graceful efficiency, gathering dried herbs James had brought back weeks ago, pretty things he’d called them after a scouting run, never imagining they’d serve this purpose. Willow bark, elderflower, bits of mint and chamomile. She measured by memory and instinct, boiling water in an old pot on the wood stove. The scent that rose was earthy and bitter, familiar in a way that tugged at long-buried human recollections.

Y/N watched her work, the simple domesticity soothing despite the fever. Victoria’s movements were precise, never wasted, much like how she planned their safe routes or read threats in a crowd. But there was softness there too, reserved only for her mates.

When the brew was ready, Victoria returned to the bed and helped Y/N sip it slowly, one arm wrapped securely around her shoulders. — It won’t taste pleasant.— she warned with a faint smile, — But it helped me escape death several times when i was a child, small sips.—

Y/N grimaced at the bitterness but drank anyway, leaning heavily into Victoria’s cool side. — Thank you. For this. For not… panicking like him.—

Victoria’s fingers resumed their gentle stroking through Y/N’s hair. — I’ve seen enough fragility in my existence to know panic solves nothing. James hunts shadows when he’s worried. I prefer quiet action.— She pressed a cool kiss to Y/N’s temple, lingering. — You are ours. We adapt to you.—

Time passed in a haze of rain and low voices. Victoria spoke softly of old memories, tales of her change or nomadic life with James, but smaller things. The way wildflowers grew near her childhood home. How her sister hummed while brewing remedies. Quiet stories that wove comfort around them like another blanket.

Y/N dozed fitfully, waking to Victoria’s cool cloth on her forehead or a gentle adjustment of pillows. At one point, Victoria even hummed an old, half-forgotten tune, her voice low and soothing.

The door opened sometime later, James, hair slightly tousled from the rain and speed, clutching a plastic bag from the nearest pharmacy like it was a hard-won quarry. Water dripped from his jacket onto the floor, but he paid it no mind.

He set the bag down with more force than necessary and approached the bed immediately this time, the earlier distance eroded by his run. — They had a dozen options. I took the strongest looking ones.— He fumbled with the boxes, clearly out of his element with human packaging, tearing one open with a bit too much strength. A pill bottle nearly cracked before Victoria’s calm hand steadied his.

— Calm down.— she murmured, a hint of amusement in her crimson eyes. — Let me show you.—

Together they coaxed Y/N to take the medicine. James sat on the edge of the bed now, no longer pulling away. His arm draped carefully over Y/N’s waist, anchoring her between them. The frustration still lingered in the set of his shoulders, but it had softened into something more protective.

— Stupid human bodies.— he grumbled, but there was no real heat in it. His free hand brushed Y/N’s cheek, testing the fever. — Why cant we just turn her?—

Victoria threw an annoyed glance at him, they have had this conversation before. — It’s too early James, you know this.—

— Yeah, yeah, only in case of emergency…— He rolled his eyes, annoyed by the treaty he held with the two women in his bed.

Y/N laughed weakly, the sound drawing a reluctant half-smirk from him. — You like that I’m human, though. Admit it.—

James leaned in, pressing his forehead gently to hers, careful, so careful. — Maybe. Makes chasing you more interesting.— The playful hunter peeked through, tempered by worry.

Victoria watched them both with quiet satisfaction, her hand resting on Y/N’s arm. She slipped away briefly to warm more of the herbal brew and prepare a light broth from supplies in the cupboard, nothing fancy, but nourishing. When she returned, the three of them settled into their familiar tangle on the bed: Y/N in the middle, cool vampire bodies on either side drawing away the fever’s heat.

Hours blurred. James told stories, exaggerated but harmless ones about tracking deer or outrunning storms, to distract from the aches. Victoria read aloud from an old, dog-eared book they’d found in the cabin, her voice steady and rhythmic. Every so often one of them would check Y/N’s temperature with cool touches or adjust blankets.

As the medicine and herbs began to work, the fever eased. Y/N’s breathing grew deeper, more restful. James’s restlessness finally calmed; he traced idle patterns on her arm, the same fingers that could kill with ease now offering nothing but gentleness.

— You scared me.— he admitted quietly during a lull in the rain, voice rough. — Didn’t know what to do with that.—

Victoria reached across to squeeze his hand. — None of us did, at first. But we learn. For her.—

Y/N stirred, nestled safely between them. — I’m lucky to have the both of you.—

The afternoon stretched into evening. They talked of nothing and everything, future quiet nights, places they might drift to when Y/N felt stronger, small hopes for their unusual mated life. James eventually fetched more wood for the fire, moving with his usual grace but checking on them every few minutes. Victoria prepared another dose of medicine with practiced ease.

By nightfall, Y/N was propped up between them, sipping broth while James dramatically complained about “human healing being too slow” and Victoria quietly corrected his exaggerations with dry wit. Laughter came easier now, filling the cabin alongside the crackling fire and distant rain.

After a while, when they noticed Y/N’s stable breathing and soft heartbeat, they noticed she had peacefully dozed off again and decided to slip out of the bed and sit together on the armchair a few meters away from where Y/N was resting. 

Victoria’s legs draped over his thighs as she wrapped herself around him. Her arms looped around his neck, chest pressed to his, while his hands rested possessively on her waist, holding her close. From this vantage point they could watch over Y/N without hovering too closely, giving her space to rest while still keeping her in sight.

The firelight painted soft shadows across Y/N’s sleeping face. Even flushed with fever, she looked beautiful to them, delicate, precious, and theirs.

James’s voice was low, barely above a whisper. — Look at her… fighting so hard.—  His thumb stroked slow circles on Victoria’s lower back. — We could end this tonight. One bite and she’d never be this weak again.— 

Victoria turned her head and kissed him softly, slow and lingering, before pulling back just enough to rest her forehead against his. — It’s too early, James. You know it is. Her body needs more time to strengthen naturally.— 

He kissed her again, deeper this time, a quiet exhale of frustration lost between their lips. When they parted, both sets of eyes returned immediately to Y/N, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest.

— I hate seeing her like this.— he murmured, pressing another soft kiss to the corner of Victoria’s mouth. —  Every time her breathing changes or her heart stutters… I just want to turn her. Make her safe. Make her ours forever.— 

Victoria smiled gently against his jaw, kissing him once more, tender and reassuring. — I know. I feel it too. But we agreed, only if it becomes life-threatening. She’s still human, and she’s still fighting. We have to trust her strength a little longer.—  

They stayed like that, wrapped around each other, trading slow, comforting kisses while their attention never fully left the bed. Every few moments one of them would tense slightly at a small sound or shift from Y/N, ready to move in an instant if the fever worsened.

Eventually, Y/N stirred. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, heavy and unfocused. She blinked toward the armchair, a small pout forming on her lips.

— …Why are you two all the way over there?—  she complained, voice raspy and tired. — The bed feels empty and cold without you… and im sick.— 

Victoria smiled softly at James, finding enjoyment in the way Y/N called for them, needed them. James smiled back and made the first move to stand up. 

A few minutes later, both of them were back, laying next to Y/N, cooling her body down within seconds and giving her this physical peace she so much needed to feel. 

It was in that very moment where she realised, she wanted it to be like this forever.