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If you can’t beat them, join them.

Then I could protect Peter from anyone that tried to touch him.

It wasn’t completely selfless, though. Deep, deep in my gut, excitement bloomed. To no longer be helpless.

The thought of becoming a vampire intrigued me a little more than I wanted to admit.

TWENTY-SIX

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I’d gone upstairsto sleep and woken an hour before sunset then come back down to settle in the living room. Peter sat on the settee with his computer in his lap while I’d sprawled across the long couch, wracking my brain on how to get Peter out of here with the minimum amount of drama. It wasn’t like he hadn’t built a life for himself over there. Only his worry for me kept him here.

His fingers rapidly swept across the keyboard.

The quick slap of footsteps thudded down the hall. A harried Maddy rounded into the foyer.

“Hurry up, Sid,” she shouted. An apron still hung around her neck, swaying with her ragged breaths.

“Everything okay?”

“I lost track of time.” She brushed her messy strands back. Strain tightened the corners of her mouth. “I need to drop Sidney off at my parents. Hopefully, I’ll be back before they rise.” She chewed on her lower lip, shiftily looking at the screen of her phone.

The lowering sunlight reflected golden light from the window sill. If her attempt was to get back before they rose, I didn’t thinkshe’d make it. Peter continued tapping away at his computer, hyper-focused.

“Peter can take her.” Anything to keep him out of the way.

“Are you sure?” Maddy scratched her arm, not really looking at me as she swept a finger over her phone screen.

He shot me a narrowed eyed look from the corner of his eyes. His lips parted, but I scowled at him. He sighed and stood. Sidney ran up, smoothing her hand down her hair and her eyes rounded on Maddy handing Peter her car keys.

“You’re doing me a huge favor.” Maddy continued her thankful babble. Sidney’s lips parted and a flush crawled down her neck as she shot furtive glances at Peter. “Sidney can direct you there.”

“Let’s go, kid.” He was too busy sending me a look to notice her lips purse at his command.

Yet, she didn’t say anything and followed him out the door with her head slightly lowered. I couldn’t see any bit of her spunk which seemed to have dissolved under the flush overtaking her face.

As soon as the front door slammed shut, I closed the distance between Maddy and I.

“If you have any other errands to run. Have him do it.”

“Oh, I couldn’t—” Awareness dawned on her face and she slowly nodded. “Will do, I need some things from the store, I’ll have him pass by for me.”

Good, by the time he gets back I wanted him too tired to stay up and get more involved with the vampires than he was.

I smiled at her, putting as much gratitude behind it as I could. I headed down the hall to get to the first level. The metal door hissed shut, encasing me in silence.

I approached the vampire laying stiff on the couch, he was the only one that hadn’t stayed in the bedroom. Like a magnet, my fingers hovered over his face. He wouldn’t know . . . hissilky cheek was cool to the touch. He had such long eyelashes, I’d never noticed because he was always glaring at me, but they fanned out, golden and glinting in the low light of the living room.

I liked him better like this, sleeping and soft. He was rather beautiful. Even though he was Asher’s twin, there were hair strands slightly darker interwoven with his eyebrow.

I dragged my fingertips to the edge of his never smiling mouth. The only time I’d seen it curl up was when he made some sly, sarcastic comment.

His eyes flung open, and I gasped, yanking my hand back. From one moment, he’d been utterly still—stone-like, to the next, his gaze glinted with awareness. He said nothing, which was stranger than him speaking. I brushed my hair behind my ear, retreating through the bedroom door with quick steps.

Asher was sprawled out, arm flopped across Ren’s torso while his hand hovered near his face. Bastien lay face down, arms under his head and long white hair spilling over the edge of the bed.

Giving me a space of my own, their reactions to Peter showing up . . . none of it was expected and I was too weak to not be moved by it. And the possibility of having such protection? It buckled my knees.