“Jack and Mae.”

“What did it say?”

“That I was with you and we were on the way to your house,” I said honestly.

He nodded once, and then noncommittally, he said, “That’s probably for the best.”

I almost asked him if he planned to kill Jack, but decided that I didn’t want to know. If he said yes, there wouldn’t be any hope for this turning out okay. At least this way, I could sink down in the seat and think that maybe this is all a misunderstanding. Peter obviously didn’t have any intention of hurting me. In fact, he’d been kinder to me than he ever had been before.

Then again, maybe that was a rouse. As the old saying goes, he’d catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

- 27 -

When the Audi pulled into the garage, I noticed with some relief that the Lamborghini was gone. Meaning Jack probably wasn’t here. I had no idea where he might be, but as long as he wasn’t here, that was fine by me.

Peter rested his hand on the small of my back as he ushered me into the house, and I tried to pretend like I didn’t notice the tingles it sent through me. My heart beat that funny way again, the one that drove everyone mad, and I hoped that Milo wasn’t home.

No one greeted us at the door, which surprised me since I had given Mae a heads up. Matilda barked and scratched at the basement door, which led me to believe that Mae had stepped in. If Jack and Peter were going to start battling it out, Matilda would probably get hurt, so Mae put her in the basement to protect her.

“Hello?” Peter announced, his silken voice resonating through the entryway. He sighed when Mae didn’t rush in to greet us, the way she would’ve any other time. “She did always like Jack better than me. She needs someone to coddle.”

“That’s why she prefers me,” I added dryly, and he smiled slightly.

“Mae?” Peter ventured out into the kitchen.

He kept his hand on my back to keep me going along with him. Not that I would’ve turned away. Wherever Peter was going, I wanted to be, and not just because my body insisted it. If he was going to stumble across Jack, I had to be there.

“Mae?” Peter repeated, his tone growing irritated.

A scuffling sound came from the living room, and Peter moved his arm so it was in front of me, shielding me from whatever was going on in the other room. His stance had changed, though, like he was ready for an attack, and I tried to think of a way relax to him.

“Mae!” I shouted. I doubted Peter would hurt her, and I needed someone else to break the tension.

“Alice?” Milo tried to hide the nervousness in his voice.

He burst into the kitchen with Mae right behind him, tugging on his arm, and I understood the scuffling sound. Mae tried to keep him in the other room, away from Peter, but Milo had been trying to get to me.

Peter, meanwhile, only deepened his defensive posture, and moved so his body completely blocked mine.

“Is that her blood?” Milo asked, referring to the splatter on Peter’s shirt. He sounded horrified and his eyes widened a split second before he bared his teeth and charged at Peter.

Fortunately, Mae’s arms locked onto him and slowed him down just enough where I could dodge underneath Peter’s arm so Milo could see that I was safe and sound. Peter looped an arm around my waist and pulled me back to him. He was trying to protect me from Milo, who was trying to protect me from Peter.

“Milo, I’m fine,” I said, and I let Peter hold me to him.

“What’s going on?” Milo growled. He stopped clawing his way towards us, but Mae kept her arm around his chest just to be safe.

“Peter fought another vampire. That’s his blood, not mine. I’m fine.” I held up my arms and turned my neck, trying to show him that nothing had happened.

“Is that… is that your brother?” Peter’s grip relaxed as he narrowed his eyes at Milo, trying to understand that situation. “Your brother’s a vampire?”

“Yeah.” I moved away from his arm, standing a little bit away from him.

Being so close to Peter had done that thing to me again. My mind got hazy and filled with him, the way a room is filled with a scent. I could smell him, too, hot and tangy, and my mouth began to water. Unnecessary goosebumps broke out on my skin, and I’m sure I was trembling.

Wrapping my arms tightly around myself, I tried to concentrate on the scene around me, like Milo’s wild eyes and the heavy sounds of his breath. Mae hadn’t spoken since we’d come in, but that was because she seemed to have her hands full keeping Milo contained.

“When did he turn?” Peter looked to me, but I wished that he would ask somebody else. I wanted a chance to clear my head of him.

“About a month ago.”

“Why did he turn?” Peter’s furrow deepened and his tone got even more confused. “Why haven’t you?”

“There was an accident, and Milo was going to die, so Jack turned him,” I said. “And I had been waiting to turn until Milo was a bit older.”

“Jack’s always so eager to turn everything,” Peter said more to himself than anyone else. Then he shook his head and looked past Milo at Mae. “You haven’t said hello.”

“I haven’t really had the chance.” Mae forced a smile and finally released Milo, but she made no movement towards Peter, no attempt to hug him the way she hugged everyone else. “Peter, maybe you should just go.”

“I know that you’re not happy to see me, but that’s not fair.” Peter was genuinely hurt by her reaction, and Mae’s eyes filled with soft tears. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Peter, you know that’s not exactly true,” Mae said quietly. She kept her gaze on him, but nodded her head slightly to me.

“I’m not trying to justify it, but if…” He bit his lip and shook his head. “Jack overstepped his bounds on every measure of this, yet you’re all continually on his side. She was meant for me, not him. And it shouldn’t have mattered to any of you if she had died.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled, and I felt his eyes land apologetically on me.

“Alice, that’s not what I meant.” He made a move towards me, then dropped his hand.

“We’re not on anyone’s side,” Mae insisted, and she rested a hand on Milo’s arm, trying to keep him steady. Hearing Peter so casually talk about my death had him fuming. “Things are far more complicated than sides, and you know that.”