Page 14 of Hot Vampire Next Door: Season Three

"Exactly."

"Why?"

He pauses, looking around the diner as if to reassure himself there's no one worth worrying over. "Because if you can earn the loyalty of the strongest of each house and they come together under one roof..." He picks up the fork, the knife, the spoon. I know what the symbolism means—you possess all of the tools, all of the talents, all of the skills.

"So do it," I blurt.

His eyes narrow.

I reel back, shocked to hear the words come out of my mouth. I hadn't meant to say it. I hadn't meant to insinuate he should abandon his brother and all of the systems in place in Midnight Harbor. Change centuries of tradition and rock the boat so hard, it might threaten to tip.

But now that it’s out, I can’t take it back, even if it is a little crazy.

And I have to admit, I’m incredibly curious to hear what he has to say about it.

Episode 38

Brutal Brother

BRAN

I can hear my little mouse’s heart beating over the shit music playing through the diner's meager sound system.

I think she thinks she's excited about the prospect of me starting a new house, but I know better.

She's running.

My little mouse has always been running from something.

It's why she wanted to leave Midnight. She didn't fit in and she didn't want to try and it was just easier to leave.

She doesn't think she has a legitimate place in Duval House. But I'm not letting her get off so easy.

I have too much to lose and so much to gain.

She peers up at me with wide eyes.

I love her when she's like this. When she's just a girl full of raw hope.

It makes crushing her that much harder.

"Maybe we could rescind that deal with Julian," she tries. "We could use your lake house as your house and—"

"Mouse."

She's learned to bend to the sound of my voice and she stops rambling immediately.

"I can't leave my brother."

The line of her brow sinks. "But you already have. You did when you moved in next door to me."

"That was always meant to be temporary."

“Don’t you want to be out from under your brother’s control? You said—”

"I know what I said." I take a drink of the coffee but it's no longer bitingly hot and the tepidness does nothing to hide the bitter taste of the cheap grind.

Mouse takes a breath and organizes her thoughts again. "I think diversifying a house is a good idea and—"