Page 147 of The Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood & Boyfriends

“Oh, for Pete’s sake,” Travis said.

The grand doors to the ballroom slammed shut with awhoosh,and the lights flickered as wind began to rush around them. The gusts swirled violently, with Travis at the eye of the storm.

People yelled out in surprise and fear as the storm mussed their dresses and hair. Blood packs began flying from the cart and from people’s hands, snacks from the food table lifting up to join a threatening tornado.

Travis burst into a laugh, and panic erupted. If some had thought this was a cute vampire-ball gimmick, now they were scared. Brennan whirled around as people started screaming and rushing toward the closed doors, as even furniture was swept up in Travis’s storm.

The musicians stopped playing for less than a second before Travis shot them a grin through the chaos and said, voice laced with magical influence, “Don’t stop on my account.”

They obediently continued playing, if a bit more of a harried tune. The affected vampires remained cornered by Tony’s garlic gun, but most of the humans yanked at the doors, which refused to budge. Then there was Micah and a few Reddit companions, valiantly filming on their phones while cowering against the walls.

The news was out, or would be soon. Vampires in Boston. Brennan had failed. Dom and Sunny and Nellie weren’t coming to save them.

Brennan found Cole’s eyes across the ballroom. “Get out of here!” He had to shout over the gusts of wind. Even with the roar of it, Brennan could see, if not hear, Cole’s adamant “No!” in response.

Brennan lifted his arm to shield his eyes with the back of his hand, pressing forward toward Travis even as the wind pushed him back.

“You know, Brennan, you’re really the most disappointing turn I’ve had,” Travis said. “I thought you would understand. I thought,there’ssomeone who will understand the hell I’m living. But you don’t. No one does.”

“You don’t have to do this!” The wind carried his voice away. Brennan wasn’t sure Travis heard it.

But he responded, so dry and empty, “What else is there to do?”

Brennan hesitated, wind whipping his hair into his face, and he vowed that if he survived this, he would chop it off.

“You choose humanity,” Travis spat. “Don’t you see? These things are like flies. What will you do, decades from now, when all these little things you care about are long gone?” Travis let out a roar and the wind picked up. He extended one hand, and in an instant, a crushing invisible force went around Brennan’s throat like a fist.

Brennan struggled against it, clawing at his own neck.

“I’ll find new things to keep me human,” Brennan managed. “New reasons to—to try to be good. You just have totry.”

The fountain behind Travis wobbled, wavered, and fell, sending rushing waves of red punch splashing over Travis and across the white marble floor. Travis stumbled and the wind sputtered, and Brennan gasped for air.

Behind the fallen fountain was none other than Cole.

Travis was drenched in sticky red sugar water that looked like thinned-out blood, and he straightened his jacket before turning to glower at Cole.

Travis reached out a hand. Cole went taut and was pulled forward by an invisible force until his throat was in Travis’s grip.

“You’re young and naive. But as soon as this one dies, you won’t be.” He pulled Cole toward him, Cole’s back to his front, and his fangs glinted as they drew out. Brennan’s heart stopped. Cole was stock-still in Travis’s grip, frozen in fear or thrall, and Brennan was going to have to beg.

But then Cole leaned forward—

“I’m not a fuckingchew toy.”

And reared back to headbutt Travis with all the force he could muster. Travis was an immortal vampire, and it couldn’t have hurt much, but it was enough of a shock to buy Cole a second to dart out of his grasp and sprint to Brennan. Cole took his hand at his side, where he fucking belonged as far as Brennan was concerned.

“I’msoin love with you,” Brennan blurted out.

“Not the time, darlin’,” Cole said, but he smiled like nothing else mattered.

They faced Travis together.

The wind picked back up. People were shouting. But everything seemed to slow down around Brennan, where his hand intertwined withCole’s, and he felt unstoppable. Infinite. And understanding dawned on him, clicking into place like a puzzle piece.

He’d been so afraid of turning into someone like Travis, someone distanced from humanity, utterly alone and far too old for this world. Someone who’d loved and lost too many times. But now he pitied him.

Ancient and empty, no humanity, no purpose.