Page 65 of The Lunatics

“Technically, Michael did,” she said. “And it wasn’t someone, it was something. The vampire virus fucks people up. You know that. Whoever that vamp was when he was alive, you guys didn’t kill that person. You killed some sociopathic, blood-crazed version of him. And from the sounds of it, by ending him, you saved at least one life and Goddess knows how many others that he would have gone on to kill throughout his undeath.”

“I keep trying to tell myself that. But then I remember the look on his face as he died.”

“I get it,” she said. “It’s okay to be torn up about this, even though he was a monster. You know that, right? Like, I’d be way more worried if you weren’t at least a little tormented right now.”

“Michael isn’t tormented. Should I be worried about that?”

She hesitated. “I don’t know. I don’t know anything about the man. I’m guessing this wasn’t his first kill?”

“No.”

“Maybe he’s just gotten used to death. Living in a city like Boston would force you to grow up pretty quickly. Especially in his family.”

I let out a heavy exhale. “Goddess, his family, Gia.”

“You need to get on his mother’s good side.”

“No shit.”

“Have you reminded her that if you drop a litter of Michael’s pups, she’ll have superwolves for grandkids?”

I looked at her. “Drop a litter? Seriously?”

She shrugged. “Procreate? Have lots and lots of sex that leads to lots and lots of babies?”

I shut my eyes tight against the images her words invoked. “Stop. I’m begging you.”

“No. I’m dead serious, Layla. You need to get ruthless. You need to do everything in your power to survive until you and Michael figure out what the hell you’re going to do together. Or apart. If that means killing a few people and outright lying to that alpha bitch, do it.” She stopped and grabbed my arm, forcing me to stop, too. “Because if you don’t survive this…” Tears welled in her eyes.

I reached out and hugged her. “I’ll survive this.”

She squeezed me back so hard that I knew she wasn’t convinced. The smell of her fear prickled my nose, which only triggered my own fear to surge.

My phone chimed from the back pocket of my jeans. I let hergo and pulled it out. It was a text from Michael, asking if I was okay. He must have felt what this conversation was doing to me.

I’m okay, I texted him.Be back in a bit.

Please hurry. A very large man named Scott is becoming insistent that I chug a beer with him.

I laughed and showed Gia the text.

“You should probably go save him,” she said.

“No way. I owe him some payback from earlier. He’s on his own. Tell me about you and Natalie. Her parents haven’t threatened to kill you, have they?”

She scoffed. “Please. Did you meet them?”

I nodded. Where Natalie had rainbow-hued braids and favored funky clothing, her parents exuded buttoned-up professionalism. Her dad was a retired cop and still wore his hair in a crew cut. Her mother was a lawyer. I had a brief exchange with her earlier and spent the whole time feeling like she was getting ready to cross-examine me. I’d fled before she could question me about Gia.

“How do they feel about your bond?” I asked.

“They’re fine with it. Her father seems to think it’ll settle Natalie down.”

“You don’t agree?”

She shook her head. “She’s got a wild streak a mile long.”

“Any progress on the relationship front?”