humans. Both Peter and Elise were vampires when they met, and so was Mae when I met her. There was a very good chance that had we met while one of us was human, we wouldn’t have taken a second look. We’re not callous, exactly, but we just don’t feel attachments to humans the way we do to other vampires. It’s probably a survival mechanism since your lives are so fleeting, and well, you’re our food.” He grimaced a little at that, but I didn’t say anything.
“When Jack came home and said he’d met you, we couldn’t figure it out,” Ezra went on. “He connected with you instantly, but he didn’t feel that… physical need, the way we do.” I nodded, knowing exactly what he’d meant. I felt it the instant I saw Peter, and it only got more intense with time. “But the connection was something we all understood. Because Peter is of my blood, I felt connected with Elise, and both Peter and Jack feel connected with Mae on a higher sense than they would with just any other vampire.”
“Do you feel connected with me?” I thought that I felt connected with him, but it was hard to tell what was a real connection and not just falling under the spell of his perfection.
“Yes.” Ezra smiled warmly at me, and I flushed. “I feel more connected to you than I have with any human since I’ve been a vampire. I enjoy being around you, but more than that, I want to protect you.”
“Jack said my safety was top priority for you,” I mumbled dazedly. It was insanely flattering and intimidating knowing that I had fallen into Ezra’s favor.
“He wasn’t exaggerating,” Ezra grinned wider. “You are in a very unique position. The three of us would sooner hurt ourselves than see something done to you.”
“Is that what the issue is about biting me?” I asked.
“Yes, and no.” Ezra tilted his head. “Remember when I said that we were possessive and territorial? As soon as Peter met you, you were his. He felt it inside him, the way you do. In a sense, he is yours, too, but since you’re a less dominant species, it’s not quite the same. No offense.”
“None taken.” They were better than me, and I knew it.
“Peter lost Elise, and it devastated him completely. There is nothing in the world that even compares to the pain he felt when he lost her, and he vowed never to feel that way again. To be perfectly honest, I doubt that he could survive it.” Ezra exhaled deeply, looking rather sad. “So he doesn’t want to want you. It doesn’t change the way he feels, because nothing can. But he’s been fighting it and trying to find a way around it. On top of everything, you’re so fragile. When you’re with someone, the way we are, we frequently drink each other’s blood. Drinking another vampire’s, or anyone’s really, is the most intimate act there is. But for you, it is dangerous, especially with Peter feeling the way he feels. It would be very easy for him to get caught up in the moment and take things too far.
“He ran the other night because he didn’t want to hurt you,” Ezra continued. “It’s not supposed to be this hard, Alice. It’s usually a very simple, clean process. You meet, you fall in love, and you live happily ever after. But this is much, much more complicated.”
“Because of Elise?”
“Yes, and because you’re human.” He had a drawn expression and he sighed. “And because of Jack.”
“Because Jack wanted to bite me last night?”
“It’s more than that.” Ezra looked at me knowingly. “Alice, Jack’s fallen in love with you.”
“What?” Startled, I blushed randomly. I had considered the possibility that I was falling in love with him, but as Ezra had just explained, vampires didn’t fall in love with humans they weren’t meant for. Or any humans, actually. “I–I didn’t think that was possible.”
“Neither did I,” Ezra admitted soberly. “He shouldn’t feel anything for you.
You’re human, you’re meant for Peter, and you’re not his. Maybe it was because he spent so much time with you before you had a chance to meet Peter and fully meld with him, and with Peter rejecting everything so much… I don’t know.”
“So… what does this mean? Does it transfer? Can I just be with Jack instead of Peter?” I asked, and Ezra looked very shocked by my questions.
“You would want that?” He looked at me evenly. “You want to be with Jack instead of Peter?”
“I don’t know,” I confessed uneasily. “I mean, if Peter doesn’t even want me, it just seems stupid to force something.”
“Peter still wants you,” Ezra was quick to clarify.
“Then why isn’t he with me?” I demanded. “Why was Jack the one I wanted last night?”
“I don’t know,” Ezra said at length. “Peter will be home soon, and hopefully, we can get some of this straightened out then.” The car had started gliding into familiar territory, and I knew we weren’t far from their home.
“What about Jack?” I asked softly.
“Peter can’t know how he feels or how close he came to biting you last night,” Ezra warned me finitely. “And he can’t ever bite you. Peter will be able to smell him on you, and that won’t be good for either of you.”
“Am I still allowed to be around Jack?” My heart broke at the thought of a life without him, even if I had Peter.
“Yes, of course. You both just have to be very in control of yourselves.”
“Are you sure that I am meant for Peter?” I asked him carefully as we pulled into the driveway.
“Yes.” Ezra answered finitely. The garage door closed behind us, but we stayed in the car. “Something’s off this time, but there’s no other explanation.”
“Oh.” It was strange how one sentence could exhilarate and devastate me.
“Are you in love with Jack?” Ezra’s voice was barely above a whisper, as if he was afraid of someone hearing.
“I don’t know,” I admitted honestly. Tears welled in my eyes and I bit my lip.
“Alice, listen to me very carefully. If you care anything for Jack, you mustn’t act on it.” His deep brown eyes settled on me, conveying the severity of his words. “I’m not trying to frighten you, but… it’s just the way things are, and I am very sorry.”
“It’s alright.” I wiped my palms across my eyes, trying to smear away the tears.
“Are you okay to go in?” Ezra asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I insisted. He waited for me to open the car door and start getting out before he got out. “So, does Mae like me so much cause of the whole blood thing and her being yours and all that?”
“No. Mae loves you because she’s Mae, and that’s what she does.” Ezra smiled brightly me, relieved to talking about a subject he was quite fond of.
Putting his hand on the small of my back, we walked into the house. “Honestly, are we what you envisioned when you thought of vampires?”
“Hardly,” I scoffed, and he laughed heartily.
“You’re home!” Mae exclaimed suddenly, running into the entrance and throwing her arms around me. For the first time ever, Matilda didn’t run and greet us, but then I realized that’s because Jack wasn’t with me. “I was a little afraid we’d scared you off last night.”
“You can never scare me off,” I said into her shoulder. She finally released me and cupped my face in her hands, staring at me as if to make sure I was real.
“Oh you look so tired! Did you sleep at all?” Her eyes had a pained look, so I nodded and forced a smile. “You know what you need, love? A nice warm Jacuzzi. We have a fabulous Jacuzzi tub in our master suite, and I’ll just get some bubbles going and you’ll be as right as rain.”
“How right is rain really?” Jack wondered dryly, and I pulled my head away from hers to look over at him. He was leaning casually against the doorway and smiling crookedly at me. My heart felt elated just at the sight of him. Last night, I had become so positive that he would be dead or gone forever, and I couldn’t contain myself. I rushed over to him and threw my arms tightly around his waist. “Hey, I’m okay, I’m okay.” He gently pushed me off, holding his hands on my shoulder until I was half a foot away from him. “Okay? I’m okay.”
“I was just worried.” I wanted to cry, and I didn’t know why. I blinked rapidly and swallowed hard.
“Yeah, you look like it,” Jack said quietly, his expression softening.
“She just needs a nice warm bubble bath!” Mae exclaimed, wrapping an arm tightly around my waist so she could pull me away from Jack, and it did require some effort on her part. “We have some wonderful lilac bath salts that just melt the tension away.” Mae continued telling me all the amazing features of her tub as she led me away, but I glanced back over my shoulder at Jack.
