Аманда Хокинг - Flutter

After scouring the cathedral, Milo stepped out the front doors, and that’s what had needed to do all long. Jane was lying on the front steps. She was shivering and completely out of it, but she was still alive. The park across the street was swarming with cops and ambulances, thanks to the mangled body the lycan had left there. Milo had on a zippered hoodie over a tee shirt, so he took off the hoodie and laid it on top of Jane.

Then he called and left an anonymous 911 call saying there was an injured girl on the front steps of the Basilica. This time, I thought the best solution for her was staying away from vampires. She needed more help than we could give her.

After that, we had to leave in a hurry. Olivia went back to her place, and Leif disappeared into the night. I’m not sure where he’d go, but he assured me he’d be alright and he’d see me again someday. Peter had driven his Audi, and Milo and Bobby volunteered to go with him. It was only a two-seater, but Bobby didn’t mind sitting on Milo’s lap. Since Jack had taken the Lexus, Ezra had been forced to take the Lamborghini, which he generally thought to be too flashy to drive around. Jack sat shotgun, and I curled up on his lap, resting my head against his chest.

On the ride home, I realized that the cathedral had constant staffing. Ezra explained that when he’d arrived, he’d “charmed” them into leaving. It was better for their safety. When Ezra wanted to, he could convince people of anything. I hadn’t know it that before, and I would’ve found it disturbing. But he used it sparingly that I didn’t even know he was capable of it. It only worked on humans, though, which was the way most vampire powers seemed to go. As seen by me fighting the lycan. Despite my superior strength, I had been no match for them. I was a total fail as a fighter.

“Oh my god, it’s never felt so good to be home,” I sighed when we walked into the house.

Jack grinned at me, squeezing my hand. The night had felt longer than any other one before, and I felt so tired. I just wanted to go up to bed with him.

“Tomorrow is going to be another long day,” Ezra said, following us in. “I’ll have to spend all day trying to convince the police we had nothing to do with this.”

“Why would they even think were involved?” I asked. Ezra went over to the fridge and got a bag of blood out of the bottom of the drawer of the fridge. All the blood used to be kept in the basement, but Milo and I were pretty lazy. I had my back to Jack, and he wrapped his arms around my shoulders. I leaned back against him, and he kissed the top of my head.

“Because the Lexus is still there.” Ezra opened the bag of blood and took a long drink. “I’ll have to get it from the impound. I just hope that I have chance to sleep before they coming looking for us.” His expression changed, growing perplexed. “That’s funny. I saw Mae’s car in the garage. I thought she’d be wondering where we all were.”

“Maybe she’s in bed,” I shrugged. The sky had already started to lighten slightly already, so it was about time for us to head to bed.

“Maybe,” Ezra didn’t look convinced. He finished his blood quickly, then cocked his head. I listened, but I couldn’t hear anything. Not even Mae, but the night had left me exhausted so all my senses were dimmed.

Then I heard the garage door open, and a few seconds later, Peter walked into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes. Milo and Bobby followed right behind him, and thanks to that nice, long nap Bobby had, he didn’t seem to feel any of the weariness the rest of us did. He was following right on Peter’s heels, asking him a million questions.

“So you cut off his head using a cross?” Bobby was completely wide-eyed. “I’m Jewish, and even I think that’s pretty damn awesome!” Then he noticed me in the room, and he gave me a weird look. It wasn’t adoration, exactly, but it made Milo bristle and put his arm defensively around Bobby. The weirdest part was that I felt myself returning some of the sentiment.

“I just need to take a hot shower, and be done with this night,” Peter grumbled and walked out of the kitchen. He hadn’t looked at me or Jack since everything had ended, and I wondered if he ever would again. I had nearly been killed tonight because of how much he loved me, but then again, that wasn’t the first time.

“Me, too,” Milo agreed. He looped his arm around Bobby’s to waist to start leading him out of the kitchen, but Bobby stopped and looked confused. “What?”

“Where’s the dog?” Bobby asked. “She’s always knocking me over when we get home.”

“Where is the dog?” I echoed, and Jack tensed up. She always greeted Jack after he’d been away. I couldn’t keep her away from him.

“Matilda?” Jack called her and stepped away from me. “Mattie? Where are you, good girl?”

Matilda barked loudly, and it sounded like it was coming from Mae and Ezra’s room. She started scratching at the door, and Jack and Ezra exchanged a look. Mae started shushing her, and then she opened the bedroom door, letting Matilda coming charging down at us, and Mae immediately shut the door.

“That was weird,” I said. Jack had bent down to start praising Matilda, but he looked just as surprised as the rest of us.

“Something’s going on,” Ezra said, more to himself than us. He tossed his blood bag in the garbage can and walked down to his room. “Mae?” He started to open the door, and she pushed it shut. “Mae? What is going on?”

“Nothing!” Mae shouted nervously. “Go away!”

“Mae, open the door now, or I’ll open it for you,” Ezra commanded. When he talked like that, his voice was one of the most intimidating sounds I’d ever heard.

Slowly, the bedroom door opened, and Ezra stepped inside. There was complete silence, and Bobby took a step forward, trying to get a better look. Milo stopped him from going farther. I looked up at Jack to see if he had any insight, but he just shook his head. We all waited expectantly, but Ezra never said anything.

A minute later, he just turned and stormed out of the room.

“Get that out of my house!” Ezra growled walking away.

“She’s not an it!” Mae ran after him, almost pleading. “And we can’t travel right now! Not when she’s like this.”

“I don’t care!” Ezra roared, and he wouldn’t even look at her. “I want her out!”

“We just need two, three more days tops, and then we’ll be out of your hair forever!” Mae insisted desperately. He had his back to her, and he was seething. “Ezra, please! If you love me, you can give me three more days! Please!”

“Fine,” Ezra relented grudgingly. “But if you stay one day longer, I’ll take care of her myself.” He started walking back towards the garage. “I’m going to the station now to deal with car.

Don’t wait up.”

Nobody had asked, but it was nice of him to tell us anyway.

“What happened to you?” Mae gasped, noticing us for the first time. We were all tattered and bloody, and Bobby had scratches and bruises.

Milo started explaining the night to her, but I brushed past him. I thought I knew what was in her room, but I had to see it for myself. Mae tried to pay attention to Milo, but I felt her watching me as I walked past. I pushed open her bedroom, and it was exactly what I thought.

In the soft mass of Mae’s bed, a small girl twitched. Her blond curls were sticking to the sweat on her forehead. She was pale and sick, but she was still adorable. She looked like a pint-sized version of Mae, with cherub cheeks. She was still in the first phases of the turn, and the worst of it hadn’t hit her yet. Matilda brushed past me and jumped onto the bed next to her, licking the little girl’s clammy face.