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L ast night, the conversation between Maggie and I took a different turn than I was expecting. In fact, the whole evening took a different turn.

I didn’t expect her to open up so soon about losing Roman. It was clear how much the events of that day hurt to relive. The pain in her beautiful eyes. Fuck, I wanted to tug her into my lap and take it all away. Instead, I settled for a hug.

I was so tempted to lean in and kiss her. The hungry vampire within me begged for a taste of her lips. But I resisted… somehow.

Even now, boundless hunger claws at my gut, looking for anything to satiate the urge for blood.

Sure, if I was a lesser man, I’d go to one of the blood clinics to take the edge off. Or better yet, one of the underground sex clubs I conveniently left out of my conversation with Maggie.

The idea of fucking anyone else sours my stomach, and I gag. For the first time, I realize, if I can’t have Maggie, then I don’t want anyone else.

My fangs won’t sink into anyone’s skin except hers.

“Oh, good. You’re finally here.” Vanessa’s voice cuts off my spiraling thoughts. The fabric of her light-blue sundress swirls around her ankles in the summer breeze. She crosses her arms and leans against the brick front of my parents’ brownstone.

When our father first amassed his fortune, he bought this one and the one next door, knocking down the walls and renovating to create the perfect ostentatious dwelling. Since most of my childhood was spent in boarding schools, it’s far from home, unless my mother is around.

And if she is, we’re usually holed up in the one room in the whole house that does feel like home—the kitchen. Trying new recipes is our thing, and it’s something I’ve cherished since I was a small child.

Last night, I told Maggie I thought my mother would side with my father if I didn’t meet his ultimatum, but I’m actually not so sure. She loves me and Ness, and I don’t know if she would let Father tear her only children from her life.

“Hey, Ness.” I pull my twin sister in for a hug. “It’s good to see you, but why are you out here?”

She rolls her burgundy eyes. Several shades darker than mine, Ness had an easier time passing as human before monsters were “out.” I was forced to cover the bright crimson of my irises behind dark glasses to keep people from staring.

Ness’s eyes, on the other hand, could pass for a deep, rare shade of brown.

“Dad’s in a mood again.” Tossing her wavy hair over her shoulders, she sits on the top step of the stairs leading to the front door.

Not ready to face my father quite yet, I take a seat next to her.

“He’s already asked me twice when I’m going to ‘get my head out of the clouds and find a nice vampire male to marry.’ As if . Did you know he emailed me a list of eligible bachelors last week?”

We both scoff before breaking into a round of laughter.

I lean over, bumping her shoulder with mine. Ness is tall and willowy. Gorgeous in an ethereal way, with her waist-length white hair and porcelain skin. “The thought of you married is laughable. Downright ridiculous.”

She bumps my shoulder back as a smile plays on her lips. They’re painted with a shimmering pink gloss today, matching the rest of her subtle makeup. “Try telling that to Dad. Why is he such an elitist asshole, Viki?”

Wrapping an arm around her, I bring her closer to me, and she rests her head on my shoulder. “The only reason you get to call me Viki is because I love you.”

Her melodic laughter fills the air around us, soothing the ache in my chest at seeing my father.

“As for Father… I wish I knew, Ness. I really do. How long have you been here?”

Her sigh ruffles the stray hairs around her face. “Too fucking long.”

“Where’s Mother? ”

“Take a wild guess.”

In unison, we utter, “Kitchen.”

“Come on. Let’s get this over with,” she says, standing and brushing the back of her dress. She extends a hand to me and pulls me up. “At least I have you as a buffer now. Mom can only do so much.”

“Gee, thanks. How’s the spa doing, anyway?” I ask as I open the front door for her.

With the flip of a switch, my sister’s whole body lights up, the energy palpable when a wide smile spreads across her lips. “Amazing! I just hired a new masseuse, and we’re almost booked solid for the rest of the summer.”

Vanessa runs an upscale spa in the heart of the city. Monsters and humans are invited to relax in the tranquil environment she’s created in the middle of the bustling concrete jungle.

“That’s amazing, Ness! You’ve worked hard for your success. You deserve it.”

She deflates as we round the corner to the kitchen. “I wish Dad shared your sentiment. He just sees me as a way to keep the Bielski bloodline alive.”

I grab her hand, hoping to slow her, but she spins out of my grasp and plasters a smile on her face.

“Look who I found,” Ness sing-songs as we enter the kitchen.

The room is large and airy. Sage-green wooden cabinets climb the walls up to the ceiling. Above the farmhouse-style sink, a row of windows lets in the afternoon sunshine. Butcher block lines the countertops, and a tall waif of a woman stands at the island .

Her long white hair is tied into a sleek bun at the base of her skull, a few loose strands framing her face. A stained apron covers the crisp red dress she’s wearing underneath. When she turns to face us, a smudge of flour on the tip of her pert nose has the tension melting from my muscles.

Evelina Bielski, my mother, doesn’t look a day over forty, even though she is, in fact, centuries old. Her eyes light up when she spots me. She stops pouring cake batter into a round pan and opens her arms to me. “Viktor! Come here, darling!”

Rounding the counter, I oblige her. Long arms wrap around me, tugging me into a tight hug. The scent of strawberries and sugar invades my nostrils and warms my soul.

When we part, she cups my cheeks, tipping my face from side to side while her deep burgundy eyes examine me.

Ness and I share a lot of physical similarities with our mother. From our snowy-white hair to our long, lean body types. Being a vampire male, I’m packed with a little more muscle than they are, but nowhere near as much as Father.

We also inherited her calm and nurturing demeanor, which is probably why I ended up working with children. A fact my father never forgets to remind me of.

Her eyebrows furrow, eyes narrowing. “There’s something different about you.”

My heart picks up speed. Is it that obvious that I’m falling for Maggie?

Taking a step back, she hums and taps a slender finger on her chin. “But I can’t put my finger on it.”

“I have been spending a lot of time outside with my new job. Maybe I’m finally getting a tan,” I joke with a nervous laugh. We don’t have enough melanin in our skin for it to tan, even if spending time in the sun wasn’t painful.

Lily loves being outside, so I’ve had to adapt quickly since working for Maggie. I’ve managed to find all the shady nooks on the property to protect me from the sun.

Mother laughs, but her eyes continue to scan me. “That’s not it. You seem lighter somehow. I’m probably just being silly.” She waves the thought away with a flick of her wrist. “Anyway, how is the new job?”

I release a breath, thankful when her attention turns to putting the cake in the oven and chopping strawberries.

Her hand moves faster than humanly possible, cutting up two containers in mere seconds.

“It’s a single mother—”“Oooo, scandalous. Don’t go falling in love, Viki,” Ness interrupts, ever-so-helpfully.

She steals one of the strawberries and pops it into her mouth.

Mother smacks her hand away when she goes to steal a second one.

Choosing to ignore her childish remarks, I continue.

“It was a last-minute contract just north of the city, and I couldn’t turn it down.

” What I don’t mention is how I felt called to take the position by a presence I don’t completely understand.

Maybe it was fate that led me to Maggie and Lily, or maybe it was a coincidence.

Either way, I thank my lucky stars for whatever brought me to that orchard earlier this week.

“The mother, Maggie, is newly widowed and owns an apple orchard. She’s been juggling her daughter’s needs and the orchard for the past few years. I’m just glad I can help.”

“Oh, poor woman. I can’t imagine losing your father. And how’s the little girl? What’s her name?” Mother’s eyes lift from the bowl of fluffy whipped cream in front of her.

Snapping out a hand, the movement blurs as I dip a finger into the cream and bring it to my mouth. It melts across my tongue, smooth and sweet.

“Viktor!” Mother scolds, like always, and I smile. So many of my childhood memories involve helping her in the kitchen. Every time I came home from boarding school for breaks, I’d practically live in the kitchen, watching her whirl around making home-cooked meals and sweet treats.

For a while, I contemplated becoming a chef, but there was no way in hell Father would support that dream. Instead, I opted for a double major of finance and child psychology, giving Father the false hope I would join his firm someday.

I chuckle, snagging another scoop of fresh whipped cream before she pulls the bowl away, and I answer her question. “Her name is Lily. She’s amazing. So intelligent and curious.”

“Sounds like you’re smitten,” Ness chirps from her seat at the counter.

You have no idea.

A few hours later, the aroma of my mother’s cooking surrounds us as we sit around the dining room table, passing dishes and filling our plates. Father is an imposing figure at the head of the table .

He’s the opposite of my mother in every way.

The darkness to her light. Styled to perfection, his jet-black hair shines under the fading rays of sunlight spilling through the windows behind him.

The corners of his mouth purse downward.

Assessing onyx eyes track every movement around the table. Calculating. Cold.