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“How did you win?”

“Because until the very end, she never changed. Elizabeth was still Elizabeth.” There was a crack in Hugo’s voice as he teared up. “She went out the way she wanted to go. She held her head high with a smile on her face. She never complained. She never wavered. She was still her optimistic self. It might have killed her, but it never beat her. She won. We won.”

Alice sniffled as a tear ran down her face. She clutched Hugo’s arm tighter, pressing her face against his forearm.

He continued, “I want you to know, I’m still me. I’ll always be me.”

“I like that. Never change, Hugo,” Alice said. “Thank you for lying to me.” Her words trailed off as she drifted to sleep.

“Good night, Alice. I love you.”

“I lov?—”

Alice fell asleep in the loving embrace of Hugo’s arms.

Chapter 18

The Neighborhood Vampire

Hugo held Alice as she slept. As he listened to her breath in and out, the rising and falling of the comforter soothed the troubled thoughts of his mind. The minutes and hours blended together, unsure of how much time had passed. It didn’t matter. Holding her safe and sound in his arms was what truly mattered. He tried to sleep. He closed his eyes hoping to fall into a restful slumber, but it never came.

The troubled thoughts plagued his mind. He replayed the events from the restaurant over and over. He analyzed every step, every misstep. The lunge into Sebastian’s chest repeated constantly, so certain each strike would find the target. Nevertheless, it always failed.

Where did I go wrong? Did I pull his shirt too hard and overshoot it? Why did I have to miss?

With a deep breath, Hugo closed his eyes. He tried to sleep, but a flurry of thoughts filled his mind. Even down in the wine cellar, he couldn’t sleep. The same thoughts. The same replays. The same memories. It was a relentless onslaught to his mind. He should beexhausted, like Alice, but his body was coursing with energy, reinvigorated by the two pints of blood he drank.

Maybe I don’t need as much sleep. Will I ever sleep again?

His nose twitched. He could smell the blood flowing through Alice’s body. The sweet ambrosia of his new life calling to him. Tormenting him. Her neck right there, so close to him.

What harm is there in a taste? Just a sweet, sweet taste.

His fangs elongated.

What are you doing, you monster?

He recoiled, withdrawing his fangs. A shiver ran down his spine. He shut his mouth. Hugo had to get away and do what he had done so many times before when faced with a troubled mind.

Hugo pulled back his arms, careful not to disturb her slumber. Alice shifted. He stopped. She nestled into a new position.

He continued tearing apart their intertwined bodies. He gathered his jeans and socks, piled on the floor from earlier, and continued for the bedroom door.

He paused in front of the bathroom. The thought of checking on Alice’s reflection passed. It might wake Alice, and he didn’t want to disturb her. He slipped out the door and shut it behind him, turning the knob so it wouldn’t make a sound. He pulled on his pants and socks and softly hoofed it down the steps. He put on his leather jacket, slipped into his shoes, grabbed his key hanging next to the front door, and left.

The night air was cold and damp. Dark clouds covered the skies and blocked out the welcoming moon. Ravenhill Drive was quiet. The houses were dark as everyone was in their beds for their nightly slumber—everyone except the neighborhood vampire.

Hugo tucked his hands into his jacket pockets. His shoulders pulled forward. A slight hunch in his posture. He thought of grabbing an umbrella, but the mist was refreshing on his head. He stepped off the porch and began the journey to calm his mind. A journey he had taken countless times . . . only this time, he wasalone. There was no Max. There was no Alice. There was only what was left of himself.

Hugo’s eyes lingered on his former house, infested and transformed from the welcoming home it was when Elizabeth was alive. Its warmth. Its glow. Its radiance. All gone. Now, it was dark and cold. A tormented shell of its former glory. Hugo gave thought to running up those stairs, kicking down the door, and storming the house. He might not get them all, but he’d take some of them with him.

The house was dark. No lights from any windows. No signs of activity. No movement.

They’re not even there. Why don’t they camp out and surround the house?

He glanced behind him. The chill in the air sent a shiver down his back, and he briefly considered returning to the cozy embrace of his bed. Back to his embrace with Alice. Yet, a familiar pull urged him to press on.

Guilt, worry, and fear consumed his thoughts, casting a dark shadow over his mind. His once familiar world was a whirlwind of change and confusion. His former life was a distant memory, leaving him adrift and uncertain about how to move forward. Hugo knew exactly what he needed, a long walk to clear his mind.