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“These things are a menace.”

“Ren,” I hissed.

He frowned at me.

“What?”

I stared pointedly. He finally sighed.

“We weren’t supposed to tell you, yet. Peter is downstairs, and we think he might change?—”

I ran directly to the wardrobe adjacent to the door. The new furniture creaked upon me yanking it open. I shucked off thetowel and rifled through the drawer, pulled out underwear and slipped on a bra. I grabbed a yet to be opened package wrapped in cellophane and pulled out the boot cut leggings and the matching baby-tee.

“You need to give?—”

I was already out of the bedroom, Ren’s voice fading behind me. He cursed, sounding closer. In single minded determination, I stomped down the stairs, taking two at a time. I careened around the corner, crossed the foyer, and went through the kitchen.

Damien and Baron watched me zoom past.

Talia blocked the door.

“What are you doing?”

She fidgeted with her hair.

“You shouldn’t go in there.”

I narrowed my eyes at her and bunched her hair, dragging her to the floor. She stopped her fist from connecting with my chin. I wanted her to hit me. To feel the pain, so it could distract me. But instead of staying and flailing on the ground with her, I burst through the door and all eyes turned to me.

Tobias, Bastien, Jax, and Asher stood to the side of Peter’s head. He lay across the hard table with a sheet covering him from neck to feet. I was at his side in the next beat. I clasped his cold hand, leaning over his face.

His lips were blue-tinted, and his chest didn’t move.

“He needs a more comfortable place to lay on.” I glared at Bastien who scratched his temple. “Baron,” I shouted. I didn’t miss the looks they were exchanging.

Baron leaned through the threshold, obviously close enough to have been listening. “I’m on it, Cat,” she chirped and disappeared.

“Thank God you’re here,” Sydney muttered.

“We didn’t want to tell you unless we were sure,” Tobias said gently.

I crossed my arms and faced the group.

“You should have told me.” I shook my head. “Why didn’t it occur tome?”

Compulsion didn’t work on him, just like it didn’t on me.

“Don’t be hard on yourself—” Asher shut up when I turned my glare on him. He pursed his lips and backed up. “Nevermind.”

My mind was going a mile a minute.

“We aren’t sure if he will complete the transition,” Bastien said, approaching. “I took a look at his blood and there were,” he shook his head and looked almost awed, “very little markers compared to your blood now. That is why while you are human it takes longer for blood-madness to be cured.” Because there were less of those cells. “I believe the trigger is being bitten by a vampire. Our saliva begins the reaction.” He stopped in front of me, focused on my brother.

“Is there anything I can do?” I pressed my palms against his chest. He covered my hands with his.

He didn’t respond and that was answer enough. I clenched my teeth. Lashing out at him wouldn’t be fair.

“We have another thing to worry about.” I fanned my attention across them all. “Imogen saw me.”