Page 96 of Fangs with Benefits

Gregory snorts. ‘Well, have you had your fill? Learned your lesson the hard way again?’

‘Gregory,’ Evangeline warns.

‘What lesson is that?’ I ask.

‘That getting too close to stupid humans will only lead to regret and wasted longing. I’ll never understand your insistence on emotional angst when you can simply live better. You focus on the wrong people.’

‘Don’t be a dick, Gregory.’ Evangeline leans over and smacks our brother on the back of his head. He only shrugs, pushes his sunglasses up his nose and lounges back on the velvet couch. The sun set hours ago.

‘I can see the angst on him! Elijah would make the humans writing of our kind proud, always moping about, lamenting his immortality when most would kill to be as he is.’

‘Not everyone wants the ceaseless oblivion of an eternity with self-absorbed vampires,’ I mutter.

‘Brother, your self-importance continues to astound me.’

‘Boys,’ our mother snaps, sweeping into the sitting room in a black gown. ‘Enough fighting. Lord, four centuries and you still act like pecking chickens.’

‘Hi, Mother,’ I greet. She crouches in front of me and pushes my hair from my forehead before kissing my cheek.

‘My boy,’ she says. ‘You look handsome. And so very sad.’

‘Told you,’ Gregory mutters, and I raise my middle finger to him like I imagine Molly would if she were here. He laughs harder; there is no limit to his amusement at my displeasure.

‘Gregory is right. Tell us, did you fall in love with another human?’ she asks.

My shoulders slump slightly and her face shows a knowing pity that makes me feel worse. She pinches my cheek, like she did when I was a boy, like she’s done for four centuries. My mother turned us all because she loves us, and I’ve begrudged her this off and on through our time roaming the Earth. But she would do it again, I know. She would choose for us to live again and again.

‘What’s this one’s name?’ Gregory asks. ‘I’m going to guess one of those non-name human names. Trevin? Fender?’

‘I’m beginning to think the reason your brother stayed away for a hundred years is because of you, Gregory,’ Mother says. She pats my cheeks once more, then gives me some space and perches on the arm of Evangeline’s chair.

‘I’m glad you’re home, Elijah,’ Evangeline says. Her gaze has been the saddest, most knowing of all.

‘Thank you.’

‘Now, do tell, what is this mystery human’s name?’ Mother asks, no less nosy than Gregory, only less cruel.

‘Molly,’ I report. ‘An American.’

I could tell them of her wild hair like unrestrained sunshine, her earnest writing that could move even Gregory into loving humanity again, her analytical mind, her way of falling asleep while reading, book still propped in her hand while her eyes flutter shut.

I refrain.

‘Why not change her?’ Mother asks.

‘Worked really well the last time,’ Gregory says and I hear another slap against his skull, this time followed by a whining ouch.

‘Can we please talk about something else?’ I ask. ‘As fun as this is.’

Mother sighs but acquiesces, dropping the topic of my human. Gregory follows suit, probably in fear of Evangeline’s glare.

‘Yes, well, guests begin arriving at half nine.’

Evangeline gasps. ‘That’s half an hour from now.’

Mother shrugs like she can’t control the clock, though she did set up the festivities without filling us in on the specifics.

‘Well, unless you want to greet the council and beyond in your academia chic, I recommend you hop to it. You too, my sweet, sad boy.’