“Em.” Mike reached across and took her hand again. “Ara’s right. David educated me on the politics—back when Ara was in hospital, and I—” He shook his head. “Look, the point is, they’ll come after you if you don’t join a Set.”

“But I’m not one of them,” she cried. “I don’t want this. I don’t want that life.”

“None of us did, Em.” David sighed and leaned back in his chair. “It’s just a part of it.”

“But—” her glassy eyes moved from David to Mike. “But I’ll have to leave Mike. He—we—we won’t be able to be together, will we?”

“Not long-term. It’s against the law.” David’s face showed no emotion; the factual lawyer rising to the surface.

Mike sat back in his chair and dropped his hands in his lap.

“I’m sorry, Emily,” David said.

The song playing on the radio in the background forced too much joy into the empty moment—a song for dancing, celebrating. But Emily was torn apart inside, anyone could see that—could see the panic, the desperation to find some way to change it, to have some power.

She doesn’t want this life. I wanted it, and now it’s a burden to her. I hate Jason, right now.

“Can’t we run?” Mike asked, charged by her desperation. “Can’t we—”

“Mike,” David interjected, resting his face in his hands, his elbows on the table. “This is why I left Ara in the first place, okay. I didn’t want this life for her, either, but you two went looking for trouble—” he presented his palm to Emily, “—and now you’ve got it.”

“David!” I slapped him on the arm.

“Sorry, but it’s the way things are. If you don’t like it—”

“Well I don’t!” Emily folded her arms. “I don’t want to be a vampire.”

“And yet you have no choice!” David yelled back; we all froze.

“David, please?” her tone softened as she looked at him. “Please, take me with you when you go?”

“It’s too dangerous.”

“But, what about Ara—you’re taking her. Wouldn’t it be better if we all went? We could keep each other safe.”

“And what about Mike?” I asked. “If you join a Set, you can at least see him still.”

“Yeah, until we have to move on, or until they imprison me for being with a human.”

“Why are you yelling at me, Emily?” I pressed my fingers to my chest. “I didn’t do this!”

“Yes, you did! If you’d never—”

“Girls, girls.” Mike cut in, palms raised. “Stop arguing. We can figure this out.”

We both shut up.

“Emily?” Mike looked at her. “Ara and David are right. It’s silly to get yourself in trouble with the law for no reason. The vamps have nothing on you right now. And Ara—” he looked at me, “—if Emily wants to run, that’s her decision. I support her one hundred percent, and David—” my vampire looked up, “—so should you.”

We all sat silently, looking into our laps, except Emily, who smiled at Mike.

“You have until spring to make your decision, Emily,” David said. “If you plan to run—you better run far, and you better run fast.”

She clapped, bouncing in her seat. “Oh, thank you, David. You won’t regret this, I promise.”

He rubbed a finger in his ear, grimacing at her loud voice. “I think I’m beginning to already.”

She smiled widely and took Mike’s hand again, unable to see the pain her decision just caused him.

“Em?”

She looked up to my grave tone.

“You know that means leaving Mike behind, right?”

“No. He can run with us.”

“He’s human, Emily.” I presented him. “He won’t survive a vampire-run.”

“Of course he will.” She trilled. “You can change him once they change you, Ara.”

I doubled back, sinking into my seat a little more. Why didn’t I think of that?

David’s teeth showed with his beaming grin and he took my hand.

“David? Do you think that’s possible?”

“It’s more than possible,” he said. “It’s extremely illegal, but then, changing you is against the law anyway.” He shrugged. “What have we got to lose?”

We all looked at Mike, who sat stiff, surrounded by an air of worry that contradicted his brimming smile.

“Mike? Say something.” I leaned on my elbows.

He took a gulp of air and rubbed his forehead, nodding. “Okay. Yeah, sure, okay.”

Emily jumped in her seat, clapping again.

“Let’s do it, yeah.” He seemed to be simultaneously convincing himself while trying to show only happiness.

Emily flung her arms around him. “Oh, Mike, we’re gonna be so happy. All of us.”

Mike smiled at me through Emily’s soft blonde hair as it fell around his face.

“Welcome to the family,” David said, and I bristled with pride, watching them shake hands across the table.

Family. My family.

“So, it’s settled then,” I said when the boys sat back down. “If you guys can stay under the radar until David and I come back from Paris, I’ll change Mike, and we’ll all run together.”

“It won’t be an ideal life,” David added, then smiled and squeezed my hand. “But I think I can handle forever with you guys.”

“Forever?” Mike grinned. “Sounds good to me.”

“Me too.” Emily reached for David’s hand, keeping hold of Mike’s, and the warmth of the love this strange little family had flowed through the united hands of vampire and human alike.

At last, forever is one promise David will get to keep.

I watched him buttoning his white shirt, his hair a mess atop his head, falling in thick dark waves onto his brow. With a deep breath, I squirmed a little on the bed, inching my fingers into my hair, trying to ignore the hormonal urges rushing through every muscle in my body. But when he smiled at me through the reflection, his emerald eyes becoming small with humour, I couldn’t take it anymore. I tucked my feet under my thighs and pressed my knees together. “Make love to me.”