Archive of Our Own ^beta

Lamina's eyes snapped open. Flashes of blood, and razor-sharp fangs, and drained bodies disappeared from the final dredges of her nightmare as the alarm on her phone blared in her ear.

The sun was high in the sky and for a moment, she stared at it. Lamina never slept with her blinds closed, preferring to wake up with the sun and feel it on her skin. She ignored the pounding in her head and the tightening of her throat, almost used to the feelings by now. Her gums ached something fierce.

Sighing, Lamina rolled herself out of the bed, stretching her arms. She could hear someone moving downstairs, and she wondered how long they'd been awake for— if they'd gone to bed in the first place.

She dressed quickly, her body fighting her with every movement. Legs that wanted to run far away, eyes that stung with the dryness that came from malnourishment, and a foggy head, aching to be cleared.

"Has anyone seen my pills?" she called downstairs, stepping out of her bathroom.

Her father was the one to respond. "Are they not in your bathroom cabinet?"

"Can't find them!"

She took the stairs carefully, afraid the weakness in her body would cause her to trip and break her neck. Not that that would do too much damage it would just be— well for lack of a better term— a pain in the neck.

Entering the kitchen, she could hear her dad grumbling, vague complaints of Elmer, and metaphoric headaches, and a desire to drink caffeine, just this once. 

He didn't turn from his place at the counter, probably having heard her begin to make her way down the stairs as soon as she started. He was leaning over a case file and Lamina wondered if he'd been up all night looking at it.

"You find them?"

"No," Lamina replied, holding back the urge to press a hand to her forehead as she searched the kitchen cabinets for the little white bottle of pills.

Her father, Darragh, a tall imposing man with dark hair and porcelain skin, frowned as he watched her, back leaning against the island. "I know it's a sore topic but maybe—"

"No," Lamina said sternly.

Darragh sighed. "Lamina—"

"We've already talked about it, Dad," she continued, bending to search the drawers. "It's not happening."

"It's going to happen eventually," he said quietly, arms crossed over his chest.

Lamina didn't look at him. Had no response to what they both knew was true.

"I can wait," she insisted, rummaging through their junk drawer.

"And kill yourself in the process?" Darragh asked, his temper flaring.

Lamina snorted bitterly, slamming the drawer shut. "We both know that can't happen."

Her father sighed, reaching a hand up to his temples. "Lammie—"

"Can we not do this?" she asked, standing up to look him in the eye. "So soon after I've woken up?"

He looked like he wanted to press it even further but Lamina wouldn't let him, continuing, "Is Elmer home?"

They both knew he was the one to blame for her missing pills.

Darragh pursed his lips before shaking his head. Lamina rolled her eyes. 

"Acacius!" she shouted upstairs, though she knew she could whisper it and he would still be able to hear her. "What the hell did Elmer do with my pills?"

"Language," her dad muttered. She rolled her eyes. He was Sheriff. He had heard much worse.

"These ones?" asked her brother cheekily, poking his head into the kitchen, her pills held up in his hand.

"When did you get home?" their father demanded, frowning.

Elmer sauntered lazily into their kitchen, swinging Lamina's pills back and forth as she tried to snatch them away. "A while ago," he answered casually. "You're losing your touch, old man."

Darragh scowled at that, returning to his case file. "Give your sister back her pills."

"You're only enabling her and her delusions," Elmer argued, holding them above his head as Lamina jumped for them. "Sooner or later—"

"Elmer," her dad interrupted, sighing in defeat. "I can't do this with you too."

Lamina huffed. "Elmer!" she demanded, trying to drag his unnaturally strong arm down. "I'm going to be late! Give them back!"

Her brother's nose wrinkled in disgust as he finally handed them to her. "You're so mundane."

"Some of us like being normal," she snapped, hurriedly twisting the cap off and sucking down three of the little red pills.

He appeared unimpressed as he watched the visible relief fall across her face. "And the rest of us like not having to live off of shitty supplements," Elmer sniffed.

Lamina rolled her eyes. "I'll take your word for it," she said, shoving past him.

Rushing into the foyer, she tore her bag off of its place by the door, bending to look down to where she'd shoved her sneakers underneath the side table yesterday afternoon. She jumped when she stood up, Elmer having appeared silently behind her left shoulder.

She held a hand to her chest, the place where her heart would be beating furiously if it worked. "I thought I told you to stop doing that, you freak."

He grinned, looking entirely unapologetic. "I'm just trying to look out for you, you know," he said sweetly, stepping back.

"No you're not," she argued, arms crossed. "You want a partner in crime because Acacius has morals."

Elmer's face dropped and he scowled. "I want my sister to accept what she is."

"I know what I am," Lamina told him breezily, slipping into her red and white Reeboks. "And it isn't a killer."

"We're all—"

"Elmer," Acacius said as he made his way down the stairs, coming to her rescue, face twisted in barely concealed amusement. "You've been bitching since you got home. Did no one ever teach you how to shut up and mind your business?"

Where Elmer looked like a mean imitation of their father with his dark hair and smooth chiseled features, Acacius had the strong nose and auburn hair of their mother.

Elmer scowled at his twin. "If minding my own business means letting Lamina starve herself, then no."

Acacius shrugged, ever the practical one as he readjusted his square-shaped glasses. "She's a big girl. She can make her own decisions."

"And I'm not starving," Lamina protested childishly, holding up the bottle of pills and shaking it. "Supplements, remember?"

It was a weak argument, and even Acacius cringed at it. The pills were nothing compared to what her body required and they all knew it.

A honk from outside interrupted the argument and Lamina hurried to flip through her bag to make sure everything was in there.

"You know," Elmer said thoughtfully as he nodded to the blue jeep parked in their driveway. "It's always a lot more fun when you know them, if that helps."

Lamina made a noise of disgust, nose wrinkling. "You're actually the worst person I know."

Acacius laughed. "It's what happens when you drink too much O ."

Elmer huffed. "I'm realistic," he stressed, and then, in an uncharacteristic show of vaguely concealed concern he said, "The longer you wait the worse it's going to be when it finally happens."

Acacius rolled his eyes and shoved Elmer. "There's no reason to freak her out at nine in the morning, douchebag."

But he didn't deny it.

Lamina looked between them and glared as she spun around. "You two suck," she called over her shoulder as she opened the front door.

"You swallow!" Elmer answered and she heard him and Acacius laugh as she slammed the doors shut soundly.

She scowled, strongly ignoring the fears and anxieties that came with knowing they were right as she shoved on a pair of Aviators. She couldn't last forever, she knew that. She'd already lasted over a year longer than most, but it was getting harder to focus and the headaches only got worse as the days dragged on.

But Elmer was wrong. She wasn't going to snap and go on a massacre one day, she was going to—

Well, she didn't quite know what she was going to do but it definitely wasn't going to be that!

Her scowl lifted as she walked down the long stretch of their semi-circle driveway, eyes catching on Treech. He was leaning against the passenger door of his bright blue-wrapped jeep, one leg kicked back, arms over his chest. He grinned widely as she approached, opening the car door with a flourish, bending low.

"Your chariot awaits m'lady," he said in an exaggerated British accent, hand held out.

She laughed as she took his hand, allowing him to help her into the car. "Why thank you, good sir," she replied, voice mimicking his.

He closed the door after her and came around the front, opening his own door and climbing in. He waved to Elmer watching through the window as they pulled out.

Lamina pretended not to notice when her brother drew a line across his neck, glaring at Treech.

"You know, I don't think he likes me very much," Treech remarked with a grimace.

"He's not a people person," she said easily, tilting her head back to the wind. Treech almost never had the top on.

Treech's brow furrowed, one hand on the steering wheel, his other on the armrest. "I thought he was a partier."

"He is," Lamina agreed.

In more ways than one, she thought privately.

"So then he's a people person," Treech insisted, frown deepening.

Lamina glanced at him, a sweet smile on her face. "Don't think too much into it," she placated innocently.

Treech rolled his eyes, though there was a smile breaking through. "I'll get him to like me."

She snorted. "Good luck with that."

The only way Elmer would like Treech was if he was six feet under and Lamina was the one who put him there.

"Did you ever figure out what Chloris was talking about yesterday?"

Treech's scowl returned at the mention of their AP Chem teacher, but it successfully distracted him from asking any more questions about her judgmental, freaky brother.

Which, these days, was all Lamina could really ask for. Treech was getting entirely too perceptive for his own good, noticing things that in almost seven years of friendship he never had.

Lamina, I know you're pale and all but SPF 100 is crazy.

Are you sure you aren't hungry, Lams? You haven't eaten all day.

I know you're allergic to silver, which is really strange, so the rings I got you for your birthday are solid gold.

Really, if she wasn't so entirely infatuated with him she would have been a little weirded out at how observant he was when it came to her.

How was she supposed to explain all those things without freaking him out?

I'm fine, Treech. I just can't eat normal food or it makes me sick, extreme sun exposure leaves rashes, silver can kill me, and I swear my brother doesn't hate you, he just doesn't exactly trust you and thinks we would all be better off if I went ahead and drained you dry! Hope this helps!

Yeah, right. Top Ten Quickest Ways to send him running for the hills.

It was stupid really. Twenty years ago he would've been able to know and sure, maybe he would've been a little freaked out but he would've eventually gotten over it. Probably.

Whatever, whether he would have gotten over it or not wasn't important. It was the fact that she literally couldn't tell him or he'd be obligated to turn her in and then they'd stake her and her entire family in front of everyone.

Not for the first time, Lamina cursed Dr. Volumnia Gaul and the stupid laws she placed against Vampyres when her own freaky experiments on them had gotten exposed and she had to cover it up by claiming it was all in self-defense and Vampyres were becoming more aggressive.

Kelpies ate people too you know!

But no, Vampyres were the ones who suffered because they had a different palate than everyone else.

"You still with me?" Treech asked, putting the car in Park and turning to her.

Lamina blinked. They'd already arrived at the school apparently. She looked at Treech, trying to act as though she hadn't just been mentally cursing her situation, and attempted a smile. "Always."

Treech stared a moment longer, entirely unconvinced as he said, "Uh-huh."

He shook his head and unbuckled his seatbelt, Lamina following suit, slugging her backpack over her shoulder and readjusting her sunglasses.

Treech took her bag from her without a word the way he always did as they walked side by side into the main courtyard. Lamina tried not to read too much into the action, the way she always did. It was just a nice thing to do, and Treech was always nice.

"Just warning you," he started. "But Tanner's gonna be in a real ripe mood today."

Lamina snorted. "Is he ever not?"

Treech rolled his eyes playfully. "Alright fine," he agreed. "An even worse mood. Brandy got the truck for the next month cause he popped a tire doing donuts on their land."

"Of course he did," Lamina said, laughing, surprised she hadn't already gotten a celebratory text from Brandy.

Sure enough, as she and Treech approached Coral and the twins who were standing in their usual spot by the science building, they were bickering about it. Lamina slipped off her sunglasses and tucked them into the side pocket of her backpack, steadying Treech with a hand on his shoulder as she did so. She tried to ignore the goosebumps that rose up on the back of his neck at her touch. It didn't mean anything.

"I'm not taking you to shit," Brandy said, chewing on a beef stick. "You're the one who was dumb enough to drive on the edge of the farm where all those shitty fences are broken."

"Brandy, come on," Tanner whined. "It's limited edition and the only comic book store is a town over."

"Should've thought about that before you decided you were bored and popped the tire," she remarked, looking like she was enjoying his distress very much. "Force Circ to take you or something."

Coral cut off Tanner's retort. "Alright, I'm bored. Are we going to Sejanus's tonight or what?"

"What's tonight?" Lamina asked as Treech leaned against the wall next to her, shoulder pressing into hers.

"He's having a party," Brandy answered, scrunching the wrapper of her beef stick up and tossing it into a nearby trash can. "Coral only wants to go because Lucy Gray is."

"That is not true," Coral protested, though the tips of her ears were turning red beneath her silver piercings. "It's been a while since I've been drunk, ok?"

"When did a while become two weeks?" Tanner asked.

"She doesn't count last time because it was with you in her bedroom," Brandy said dryly. "Tonight it'll be with Lucy Gray where she has an excuse to make out with her."

Coral scowled, sinking further back into the wall she was leaning on. "I don't know why you two gang up on me about having repressed feelings when Tree—"

"I can drive tonight if we go," Treech said quickly cutting off whatever the end of Coral's sentence was.

Coral rolled her eyes but Brandy, as the only other with a car (besides Coral, but she didn't count because no one trusted her behind the wheel, road rage and all), straightened up, obviously relieved about not having to be DD. "Treech, have I ever told you how great you are?"

"No actually," Treech replied easily. "I do remember being asked to "choke on my own spit and die" yesterday in Lit. though."

Brandy waved that away vaguely with her hand as the bell rang. "You take things so seriously," she brushed off. "Come on, Lammie. I didn't do the homework for History last night so I gotta copy off yours in Calc today."

Lamina laughed as Brandy wrapped an arm around her shoulders, guiding her in the direction of their Calc classroom as the others trailed behind.

"How else was I supposed to take that?" she heard Treech mutter behind them to presumably Tanner, if the sound of a sympathetic slap on the back was anything to go by. Coral was never sympathetic.

She was hit with a wave of nausea as they turned the corner of the math classrooms. It was so intense it caused her to stumble into the wall, the distant sound of Brandy shouting in alarm ringing her ears.

The world spun as she stared at the linoleum floor, a buzzing in her ears, voices muffled and unintelligible around her. Her stomach felt like it was twisting itself over and over as her veins throbbed beneath her skin. Her hands shook as she placed them on her knees, trying to brace herself against the wall.

The buzzing in her ears narrowed into a strong beating sound and every sense in her body seemed to lock in on a gentle pressure on her shoulders.

"Lamina," said a voice. "Lamina, are you alright?"

Everything seemed to crash back into her world all at once, and she took in a sharp breath of unneeded air as her eyes lifted to Treech's concerned face, his hands on her shoulders, both their bags dropped to the floor at his feet.

"Are you alright?" he repeated and her eyes shifted again, not away, but down toward the cause of the beating. The pulse point on his neck.

Lamina stared and she knew Treech was saying something more, but all she could focus on was the gentle beating of his heart, the smell of copper and pine, and the feel of gnawing hunger in her stomach.

It would be so easy. His skin was so smooth and so soft— she could feel it in the way his fingers brushed against the bare shoulder of her tank top. And he smelled good, so good, like pine and smoke and that tantalizing scent of blood. And he was so handsome, and Elmer always did say how much better it was when they were pretty. All it would take was one bite, and she could drain him of everything, successfully binding them together the way the most primal part of her wanted to with his blood in hers. Her mouth watered, her gums ached, her fingers flexed at her sides, and she swallowed desperately.

And then Treech brought his face down so that it was level with hers, which she only realized he could do because she was still hunched against the wall, his hand forcing her chin up gently so that she was looking into his eyes, and the brown of them cleared the fog in her head.

No more was the hunger but instead the horror of what she'd almost done. The horror of how badly she had wanted to, and even more the horror of how easy it would have been. 

She heard her friends mumble about fainting and its causes and jumped violently when Brandy asked, "Are you hungry? Do you need to eat something?"

"No!" Lamina shouted, head hitting the wall as she jumped, and Treech made a startled noise, one hand reaching behind to cover the back of her head as if to check that she hadn't hurt herself.

She straightened herself up, trying to subtly push Treech back. He got the hint and gave her some space, his brow still furrowed in deep concern. Coral and Brandy shared a look.

"I'm— I'm not hungry!" She tried for a smile. "Promise."

Trying not to look like she was ten seconds away from keeling over, she bent down to pick up her bag and stood. Her friends hadn't moved.

"Seriously, guys, I just— must be tired."

Brandy frowned. "Are you sure you don't want me to run to the cafeteria and—"

"No!" Lamina protested, wincing at the shrill tone in her voice. Everyone needed to stop talking about food and hunger or she was going to lose it. "I'm fine. Really."

Then, quick as a flash, she reached out and grabbed Brandy's wrist, careful to avoid her silver rings, and said, "We're gonna be late."

She dragged Brandy down the hall, not glancing back at the three she left behind and decidedly ignoring the look Brandy was giving her.

She couldn't deal with all that right now. Couldn't deal with it because if that episode had made anything abundantly clear, it was that she had to stay away from Treech. 

Far, far away.

Trying to stay away from Treech turned out to be really freaking hard when she had spent the last seven years attached to his hip.

He'd looked like a kicked puppy when she'd chosen to sit in between Brandy and Coral instead of by him at lunch like she normally did, and while she wished she could explain it to him, what else could she say other than No Treech it's not you, it's me?

Because it was. Just probably not in the way he would have thought.

She'd stayed in Brandy's room to get ready for Sejanus's while Coral and Tanner were fooling around downstairs, and Treech looked ready to cry when she shoved him out Brandy's door.

"But Lamina—"

"We won't be long!" She shut the door and leaned against it, letting out a sigh. This was ridiculous. It was as though Treech wanted to be drained dead.

Brandy gave her an odd look from her place at the vanity where she was smudging out eyeliner. "Why are you being so weird with him?"

Lamina started, her head having fallen into the fog of malnourishment and it had caused her to almost forget Brandy was in the room with her.

"I'm not being weird," she defended, going to search through the bag she had brought, pulling out a pair of jeans.

"Yes you are," Brandy insisted, capping the eyeliner. "Since this morning— when you fainted."

Lamina huffed as she pulled off her sweatpants to change. "I didn't faint."

"You so did," Brandy said, laughing. She turned her head in the mirror. "Do you think my hair's fine like this or do I need to put a bandanna on?"

Lamina looked up as she zipped her pants. "No, it looks good. Really blonde— you been out in the sun a lot recently?"

Brandy rolled her eyes. "One of Dad's farm hands got hurt so I've been having to pick up the slack on the weekends."

"It's helping then," Lamina told her. "It looks like you got highlights."

Brandy opened her mouth to reply and then squinted. "Don't distract me. You are being weird about Treech."

Lamina laughed. "You were the one who asked!"

Brandy stood up from the vanity and made her way next to Lamina, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "Don't fool me with your logic," she chastised, leaning back on her hands, watching Lamina decide between two shirts. "You've been weird with him since you fainted today."

"I didn't faint," Lamina repeated in exasperation. "I was conscious the whole time. Red or black?"

Brandy turned her head so that she could look at the shirts Lamina had laid out straight on. Both were tank tops with thick straps, but one was a black, square-necked top that split into two pieces on the sides, exposing skin, and the other was a dark wine-red lacy thing that cut into two deep v's in the front and the back.

"Red. You fell against the wall, turned green, and vehemently denied food," Brandy said and then gave her a suspicious look. "You don't have an eating disorder do you?"

Lamina sputtered out a laugh as she pulled her hoodie off. "Brandy— no! I don't have an eating disorder."

"You swear?" Brandy said, face serious as she leaned forward. "Because I swear to God, Lamina I'll--"

"Brandy," Lamina interrupted, an amused smile on her face. "I appreciate it, but I don't. As healthy as a horse."

Well. In all actuality, Brandy, on some technical term of it, was right.

But then again, if Brandy knew what she was actually hungry for, she'd probably be grateful Lamina refused to eat.

"Alright," Brandy said leaning back again, seemingly satisfied. "So it is Treech that freaked you out."

"No." Yes.

Lamina pulled on the top, unclipping her bra beneath it and tucking it back into the bag. "Why would it be Treech?" 

She tried to be nonchalant and could tell by the roll of Brandy's eyes that she had failed miserably.

"When is it not Treech?" Brandy asked in exasperation, watching Lamina sit at the vanity. "You two are scarily obsessed with each other."

"We are not," she protested, lifting her hair up off her neck and looking for a few seconds before eventually dropping it back down, fluffing it a bit.

"He practically pushed Tanner onto the floor today to be able to recreate his stupid little 'are you ok' book scenes when you fell." Brandy snorted. "Bro had his hand on your cheek and everything in the middle of the hall."

Lamina was grateful she couldn't blush as she reapplied concealer. "You know what he's like. Mother Hen and all."

"If it had been me he would have laughed and stepped over my body," Brandy told her.

"And you would have kicked him in the stomach if it were him," Lamina retorted. "So what of it?"

Brandy groaned, flopping backward, her wide-legged jeans rustling as she did so. "Lammie, he looks at you like he's always ten seconds away from jumping your bones. Can you please just do us all a favor and kiss him at least?" Then she grinned. "I know you want to."

Lamina was really grateful she couldn't blush. "And what makes you think that?"

Brandy snorted, hands flinging up over her head on the bed, her muscle tee riding up to expose skin. "Because you're the furthest thing from subtle. It's kind of gross actually. You look at that kid like you're hungry."

Lamina blanched and missed the tube of her lipgloss, smearing the wand all over her hand. "You're seeing things," she squeaked.

"Yeah, watching two of my best friends pine over each other." She made a face. "He wants you so bad it's embarrassing."

The corner of Lamina's lips quirked up. "Wait 'til Treech hears you called him a best friend."

Brandy sat up quickly, pointing an accusing finger at her. "You tell him that and I'm burning your Jeff Buckley record."

Lamina laughed. "I live with the Sherriff, Brands. No way you're getting into the house without him catching you."

Not to mention she also lived with three overpowered, extremely sensitive to sound, killing machines.

Brandy sniffed. "Acacius likes me. He'd let me in."

"Not when he finds out you're there to burn music," Lamina stood up, pushing the vanity chair back in. "He takes preserving media very seriously."

"You ready to go?" she asked, as Brandy glared at her from the bed.

Brandy scowled. "Not until you admit you and Treech are obsessed."

Lamina rolled her eyes. "Brandy, he doesn't want me." She looked away. "He shouldn't."

Not when she was a monster that could kill him before he had the chance to scream.

"Oh no," Brandy said, eyes wide. "Lamina's anxiety is once again stopping her from going after something."

Lamina laughed. "Sue me."

Brandy stood up and took her by the shoulders. "Lamina," she said seriously. "You could go out there right now, grab Treech by the face, and make out with him in front of everyone and we would never make it to Sejanus's because his brain would be too melted to drive. That boy is down bad."

Lamina crossed her arms. "I don't want to hear it, Brandy. I just— I can't deal with it right now. There's a lot going on and I— adding whatever Treech may feel about me is too much."

Brandy was smart and she was observant, Lamina knew she wasn't just making this up out of nowhere. And to be entirely honest, she knew Treech felt differently about her than he always had. It was a weird feeling, to think that the guy you've had a thing for years for was finally starting to return the favor.

And man did Treech have the worst timing in the world. Because right as he was starting to look at her the way she'd wanted him to since she was fourteen, the hunger for him was becoming stronger than the love for him. She knew from both Elmer and Acacius's past experiences, that it never worked out well when you cared for a human in that way— and Elmer and Acacius had never starved themselves the way she was. She could only imagine how bloody a kiss between her and Treech would end up.

So there would be no kissing, no confessions, no nothing until she figured out how to be around Treech without getting lost in the sound of his blood running through his veins.

Which at this point, she wasn't sure was going to happen before her body went ahead and shriveled up.

Brandy groaned, looking like she was going to argue when there was a loud banging on the door behind them.

"Are you almost done?" Tanner shouted. "I'm bored."

Brandy huffed, dropping her arms from Lamina's shoulders and wrenching the door open, stopping Tanner mid-banging.

Tanner brightened, dropping his fist. "Perfect! Let's go."

"You're so annoying," Brandy muttered, following him.

Lamina laughed, nervously tugging on her dark jeans as she followed the twins, trying desperately to rid herself of all the images her conversation with Brandy had conjured. Images of Treech dead on the floor in front of her, covered in blood, as her tongue tasted of copper.

"Fucking finally," Coral said when they stepped off the stairs down into the kitchen.

Treech looked up from her side and gave Lamina a wide smile and a wink, one that made her stomach flip. She wished there was a way to get rid of her sense of smell, almost unable to look at him without her mouth-watering. Tanner would lose it if she got blood on their wooden floors and he had to clean it up.

Brandy laughed. "Don't get mad at us just because you got early two hours in advance because you can't wait to see Lucy Gray."

"Slander," Coral remarked, passing Treech a pack of Tito's shooters to put into the green backpack he was holding.

"Truth," Brandy replied. "Do we have everything?"

Treech snorted, zipping up the bag, the sound of clinking bottles almost painful against the hypersensitivity of her hearing that was growing more and more erratic the longer she went without feeding. "I think we'll have more than enough for the three of you."

Lamina didn't drink. She'd learned the hard way that it did absolutely nothing the night of, and instead completely tore her stomach up the next day.

Not that any of her friends knew that. They just thought she wasn't all that interested in it.

"Alright," Tanner said, heading toward the front. "Let's blow this popsicle stand."

Coral grimaced as she followed him out the door. "Don't say that again."

Tanner nodded. "Yeah, it felt weird as soon as the words came out."

As Brandy and Coral piled into the backseat, Treech opened the passenger door for Lamina.

She hesitated and glanced around nervously. "Tanner can have the front this time," she tried to say casually.

Coral stopped halfway in the jeep, Brandy's jaw dropped from inside, Treech gave her a hurt look from where he was holding it open, and Tanner's whole face scrunched up in distrust.

"You always sit in the front," Treech insisted, sounding wounded.

"Yeah," Tanner agreed suspiciously. "The last time I tried you told me to get out before you ripped my intestines out and forced me to eat them."

Lamina winced. She had said that hadn't she?

"I'm feeling generous today," she told him, trying to smile but she thought it may have come out as more of a grimace.

Tanner crossed his arms. "No way in hell am I sitting there now. You probably put a bomb underneath the seat or something."

"But—"

"Can one of you please just take it so that we can go already?" said a voice from over Brandy's shoulder.

Coral let out a yelp as they all turned to find her fourteen year old brother, Mizzen, poking his head out from the trunk of Treech's jeep over the backseat.

"Mizzen!" she exclaimed furiously. "How the hell did you get back there?"

He grinned smugly, laying his arms on the seat and resting his head on them. "Snuck in when Treech picked you up."

"You are so dead," Coral growled, and then her eyes widened. "I'm so dead, do you know what Mom and Dad are gonna do to me if they find out I let you come to a party with us?" She turned to Treech frantically. "We gotta take him home first."

Treech shook his head as Mizzen protested, finally dropping his hand from the door handle. "Coral, your place is thirty minutes in the opposite direction, no way am I doing that." He looked at Mizzen. "Someone will just have to keep an eye on him while we're there."

No one looked very enthused at the idea, as Mizzen was well-known for being a slippery little bastard. Mizzen on the other hand looked absolutely ecstatic.

Coral glared at her brother. "You have one drop of alcohol and you're being locked in your bedroom until further notice."

Mizzen frowned. "You're a buzzkill."

Coral shook her head. "Final offer or I'm leaving you here with Brandy and Tanner's dad."

Brandy nodded knowingly. "He'll have you shoveling the stables all night."

Mizzen huffed, crossing his arms in a pout. "Fine."

"Great!" Treech said, putting a hand on Lamina's back and guiding her into the passenger seat before she could protest.

That was how she ended up in the passenger seat, Treech's right arm hanging so far over the armrest his fingers were brushing her knee, looking intently out the window.

She wanted to scream at him. Either put his hand on her leg or return to the ten and two positions like they'd been taught in Driver's Ed.

Coral argued with Mizzen the whole way to Sejanus's and Lamina could feel the burning of Brandy's gaze as she stared pointedly at Treech's hand.

She'd caught Brandy's eye in the rearview mirror, and Brandy had raised an eyebrow before rolling her eyes.

Lamina frowned, not sure if Treech knew what was happening, or if he was just being decidedly oblivious.

When they pulled up to Sejanus's, the party was already in full swing. People laughed as they tumbled out his front door, cars were parked on his lawn, and the sound of thumping music filled the air. Lamina winced, the loud sounds assaulting her already sensitive ears.

Coral practically pushed Tanner to the ground in her haste to get out of the car. Treech went around to open up the trunk for Mizzen, and Lamina saw him give the boy a subtle high-five, a bit too amused by how he'd snuck in.

Treech passed the backpack to Brandy and tucked his hands into his pockets, his chest brushing Lamina's back as he followed her up the walkway.

Coral made a beeline to Sejanus's grand living room, clearly looking for Lucy Gray and before they could stop him, Mizzen bolted to the right, down a long hallway and they watched him go.

"He'll be alright right?" Lamina asked worriedly.

Brandy shrugged, unbothered. "Probably."

"I'd be more concerned about the people who come across him if we're being honest," Treech said with a grimace.

"Kitchen?" Tanner asked. "I want ice."

They followed him there, where a group of people were gathered around the island, an empty bottle in the middle.

Brandy laughed as she set down the backpack on the counter, pulling out a Mike's and handing it to Tanner. "No way you lot are playing spin the bottle," she said.

Festus turned around with a grin. "It's seven minutes in heaven actually. Sejanus wanted to," he told them in greeting. "And who are we to deny the host?"

Tanner snorted. "Wonder why." He nodded toward Sejanus across the island, who was gazing dreamily at a frowning Coriolanus Snow.

Brandy cringed. "Someone has gotta knock some sense into that kid."

Pup rolled his eyes from Festus's side. "We've tried." He grinned around him. "Hey, Lamina."

She smiled back. "Hi, Pup."

She ignored Treech's scowl next to her.

"Do you four want to join?" Persephone asked kindly, from Brandy's right, across from Festus.

Lamina's anxiety spiked. The last thing she needed was to be locked into a room with someone. "I don't think we—"

"Yeah, let's do it," Treech interrupted, his arm brushing hers as he leaned his forearms on the counter.

She turned to stare at Treech in shock. He shrugged, a rogue smile on his face. "It'll be fun."

Lamina tried to withhold a frown. Treech had never been one for stupid party games, so why had he agreed?

Circ pounded on the pantry door, which Lamina assumed was where the two victims of the game were trapped.

Jessup and Lysistrata walked out, looking sickeningly happy. Brandy booed.

"That's no fun!" she exclaimed. "They're already dating!"

Circ shrugged. "The bottle landed on them," he said. He turned to the group. "Everyone here still in for another round?"

Shouts of drunken laughter and agreement. Circ spun the bottle, apparently the designated leader of the group. The bottle pulled to a stop and Sejanus and Pup laughed as they made their way into the pantry.

"You want a Gatorade?" Treech asked as the group delved into separate conversations, Circ setting the seven-minute timer on his watch.

Lamina frowned. "No, thank you though."

If only drinking red Gatorade could be the same.

Treech gave her a look. "You sure?" he asked suspiciously.

She swallowed thickly. "Positive."

After a moment longer, he shrugged and went to search through Sejanus's fridge. Like she said, Treech was getting way too perceptive for his own good.

Brandy winked at her from across the counter, her arm already having slung itself around Sabyn. Lamina rolled her eyes.

Treech came back with a blue Gatorade, twisting it open as Pup and Sejanus tumbled out of the pantry. Pup had a bottle of Tito's in his hand, so Lamina guessed that explained their uncontrollable laughter.

Six rounds later and Circ and Persephone had gone in (who'd come out still talking about some book series), Brandy and Festus (who went in with four Fireball shooters and came out with none), Tanner and Domitia (both had looked equally displeased), Treech and Urban (Lamina had sent him a sympathetic look), Lamina and Brandy (who'd spent the whole time trying to convince her to jump Treech's bones), and Sejanus and Marcus (who both came out blushing).

On the seventh round, the bottle pulled to a stop and... Brandy and Tanner threw each other equally disgusted looks.

"No way in hell," Brandy said. "Unless Sejanus wants us to fistfight in his pantry and break his fancy shelves."

Sejanus shook his head quickly. "Please no."

Circ scrunched up his nose. "I guess that is a bit weird."

Tanner gagged. "We have the same DNA. Even in premise, it's bad."

"Are you two identical?" Facet asked dumbly from his place next to Velvereen, frowning. She rolled her eyes and smacked him upside the head.

"You idiot," she muttered. "They can't be identical."

"It was a genuine question!" he defended, hands up.

Before Velvereen could deliver whatever verbal smackdown she clearly had prepared Circ interrupted.

"I guess we could just do the people next to you," he said thoughtfully. "Or spin the bottle again."

It was almost in slow motion, the way Lamina watched Brandy look over at her, and then to Treech by Tanner's side, and the way Tanner's gaze shifted from Treech to herself, and then when the twins locked eyes, how the same slow, delighted, shit-eating grin spread across their faces.

Lamina felt like her mouth was moving at negative speed as she tried to say no, catching the look on their faces and knowing nothing good would come out of it, but they beat her to it.

"Sounds great!" Tanner exclaimed, grabbing Treech from behind by the shoulders and manhandling him toward the pantry.

"Perfect!" Brandy answered brightly, pushing Lamina after the boys.

The two stumbled into the pantry as Brandy and Tanner grinned at them.

"Have fun," Brandy sang, winking, and Tanner laughed malevolently next to her.

They shut the door with a resounding thud, and Lamina could hear the clicking of the lock as they were trapped inside.

She scowled. When she got her hands on those two...

Treech laughed next to her as they stared at the closed door, shaking his head. "Well they're enthusiastic aren't they?"

Lamina's eyes widened comically as she took in the gravity of the situation. She was trapped in a room, for seven minutes, with Treech, because of a game meant to get people to make out with each other.

And she was also, a starving Vampyre.

This was bad. This was really, really bad.

Treech laughed again, infuriatingly relaxed. "You look like you're gonna be sick."

"I'm not," Lamina squeaked, turning to face him finally, hands clenching at her sides.

He raised an impossibly attractive eyebrow. "Yeah?" he asked, and Lamina swallowed at the half a foot of space in between them.

Was it getting hot?

Treech grinned and took a step closer. "You know," he said, trying for thoughtful. "Rules are rules."

Lamina had the urge to step back, to bring some sense of stability back between them, but... in all honesty, she didn't want to.

She willed her voice not to crack. "What rules?"

Treech tilted his head to the side. "Come on, Lamina," he said softly. "You know how to play."

"Yeah," she breathed. "I do."

It was the worst idea she'd ever had probably. Worse than when she'd followed Elmer out partying when she was fourteen. Worse than stealing Acacius's limited edition DnD dice because she was mad at him when she was twelve. Maybe even worse than refusing to kill her first person and deciding instead to starve herself for over a year.

But damn if it didn't feel good in the moment.

Lamina grabbed Treech by the sides of his neck, wrenching him down to meet her. She wanted to pull away and slap him when she felt him grin against her lips, but then he was wrapping his arms around her back, pulling her flush against him.

Her hands slid from his neck to his shoulders, taking the opportunity to feel the muscles constrict beneath his crewneck when he tightened his hold on her. His own hands slipped down from her back to her waist, and he began to walk her backward, the edge of Sejanus's counter crashing into her back. His hands dug almost painfully into her hips as he lifted her onto it, tugging gently on her bottom lip with his teeth.

Treech kissed over her cheek, and down to her neck, and back to the spot behind her ear. Lamina tilted her head back and to the side, the crown of her head hitting the cabinets above it. Her hands roamed over his back, finally slipping beneath the crewneck and riding it up to feel the hot skin of his shoulder blades. She left one hand there, nails scratching lightly, and dragged the other to his curls, using them to pull him back up to meet her.

In the split-second look she gets of him before he kisses her again, his smile is wide and cheeky, and his eyes are full of adoration and desire and he is the most handsome and terrible thing she has ever seen.

His lips move against hers for a second more and her hand in his hair drops to the dimples in his back and around to his left hip and then—

And then something is burning the palm of her hand and Treech is pulling away with a hiss.

Lamina looked down at her hand, a thick line of burned skin running diagonally across her palm. She had no clue how that could have happened, as the only thing that had ever been able to burn her in that way was silver. Her eyebrows furrowed as she stared at it, baffled beyond any logical explanation.

Treech reached a hand up to his lips and through the pain in her hand she picked up the scent of blood and— oh god the taste of blood.

Lamina's non-burned hand shot up to cover her mouth, her tongue darting over the sharpened teeth of her canines, swallowing the taste of Treech's blood on her lips.

Treech's pointer and middle finger rested on his bottom lip. "Jesus, Lamina," he said, the edge of a laugh in his voice. "What do you sharpen your teeth or something?"

She had to get out. She had to get out now. Brandy needed to unlock that stupid door or she was— she was going to—

Treech needed to get away. They needed to get him out and lock her in here and call her dad to come get her or she was going to hurt someone.

Oh god, she could smell the cut on his lips. She gripped the counter tightly with the hand that wasn't trying to cover her mouth.

She needed to get out. She would tear down the door with her bare hands if she had to. She jumped off the counter, mind only on getting the hell out of there.

"Mina?" Treech asked, his amused expression turning worried.

She tried to dart past him. If she could just get out of this damned pantry she could run all the way home with no problem.

"Lamina," Treech said again, laughing, grabbing the wrist that was covering her mouth to spin her around. "We still have like three minutes and I'm not—"

He stopped abruptly, the look in his eyes horrified as they dropped to her mouth.

Lamina felt like she could cry, both from desperation and fear. She raised her free arm to try and pry his fingers off of her wrist. "Treech, please—"

In so brisk a movement Lamina had no time to stop it, Treech reached into his waistband, pulled out a silver dagger, and stabbed it swiftly into the place above her chest.

She had thought the burn on her palm hurt, but this was like nothing she had ever felt. She gasped, stomach clenching tightly as she glanced down at the dagger, protruding from her chest.

Oh, she was gonna be sick.

Treech stepped back, watching her in silence the whole time, still with that horrified look on his face.

Well. At least he had distracted her from the hunger.

With shaking hands, Lamina reached up, careful to grip the leather hilt, and with a cry hidden through gritted teeth, she ripped it out.

It clanged to the floor and she and Treech stared at each other, neither sure of what the other one was going to do, but both deathly afraid.

Which, if Lamina had been in any normal state of mind, would have hurt more than the dagger.

"That should have killed you," Treech whispered, never taking his eyes off her face.

What the fuck?

The door behind her swung open.

"Alright kids," Brandy said, eyes closed, a solo cup in her hand as she grinned smugly. "Five feet apart please."

Neither of them moved and Brandy cracked an eye open. "Boy, can I feel the tension in here," she quipped, grinning madly. "Can I ask—"

Suddenly, all the lights cut off, interrupting her and then a moment later a bloodcurdling scream sounded throughout the house.

"What the hell?" Brandy asked in wonderment, turning toward where it had come from as the lights flickered back on.

If Lamina had thought she smelled blood before, this was so much more than that. It was buckets of it, dumped nearby, and it was fresh, so whoever it belonged to had only just lost it.

With one last terrified look at Treech, she darted past Brandy and out of the kitchen.

"Lamina!" Brandy called behind her and she heard her turn to Treech and ask, "Where is she going?"

Lamina skidded to a halt when she entered Sejanus's living room, Arachne Crane's body slashed open in the middle of it. It was chaos. Coriolanus was bent over her attempting to give CPR and Sejanus was kneeling next to him, phone in hand as he dialed 911.

People were screaming and shouting and Livia was sobbing in the corner, incoherent as Pup and Festus tried to get any information out of her as to what the hell happened.

"Lamina!" Coral demanded, looking frantic as she took her by the shoulders. "Where's Mizzen?"

Lamina shook her head vaguely, unable to take her eyes off of Arachne's mutilated body. There was so much blood. She swallowed thickly, tasting copper with every breath. She needed to leave, or she was going to expose herself and her family to her entire class.

"Lamina!" Coral said again, shaking her slightly, fingers digging into her bare skin.

Lamina ripped herself out of Coral's grip, shocking the older girl with her newfound strength, the strength she'd always so carefully kept under wraps.

She was falling apart, unraveling right before everyone's eyes. She had to go.

"Lamina?" Coral asked hesitantly, eyes searching.

Stumbling backward, Lamina bumped into Hilarius who tried to grab her bicep to steady her, only to jump back when Lamina spun around hissing.

"Woah there, red," he said, hands up. "Calm down it's just—"

She raced away before he could finish his sentence, Coral calling after her. She tumbled down the steps of Sejanus's lawn, running past others who were trying to get out of the cruel twist of a party. Lamina heard another voice call for her and despite herself, turned around to find Treech in Sejanus's doorway.

His hair was a mess from where she'd run her hands through it, but she could smell the scent of her own blood on him, and the silver of the dagger he'd stabbed her with flashed in his waistband.

She didn't stop.

Not when she could still feel her skin stitching back together from where he'd staked her.

She passed cop cars as she ran the seventeen miles home, with their flashing lights and sirens and all she could think was that they would be coming after her sooner rather than later.

That Treech had already called with talks of the Sheriff's daughter being a Vampyre and when she got home she was going to find her brothers and father staked in their foyer.

The house was still when she finally made it up the driveway, but the upstairs lights were still on. She tried to take in a deep breath. If they had already killed her family, the house would have been destroyed and bodies would have littered the lawn. They wouldn't have gone down without a fight.

She opened her grand front doors and they creaked loudly. She winced. If she could get to her bedroom without any of them knowing then she could—

"Lamina?" her father asked worriedly from the top of the stairs. He was in his uniform. "Lamina, are you alright?"

He hurried down the stairs and took her by the arms, turning her each way.

"I got a call—" he started frantically. "Some girl— dead at that party you went to and I—"

He faltered when his eyes fell on her tank top, on the hole that had been ripped over her heart and the still healing wound.

"Oh my god," he breathed, taking a step back and crossing his arms. "Lamina, what the hell happened?"

"Why does it smell like wet copper?" Elmer asked, hair ruffled from sleep as he meandered onto the top of the stairs, Acacius behind him.

"Your sister got herself staked," her father said sternly, eyes narrowing at her.

"Me?" Lamina exclaimed in disbelief. "It's not like I did the staking!"

Her dad put a hand to his temple. "No," he agreed wearily. "But I need to know who did. So that I can clean it up before—" Something seemed to occur to him. "Lammie, it wasn't you who killed that girl... was it?"

Her first instinct was to vehemently deny it, but then she saw the look in her father's eyes. There was aggravation but also... hope.

Maybe most families wouldn't be hopeful that their teenage daughter had brutally murdered another teenage daughter at a party but... Lamina saw her chance to finally get them off her back and a way to protect Treech.

So she took it.

"Yeah, I—" She hesitated, trying to play the guilt that they would most likely be expecting from her. "It was self-defense though." She gestured to the wound, frowning at the bloody rip in her shirt. She really liked this shirt.

"She was the one who stabbed you?" Acacius asked, brows raised. "Who was it?"

"Arachne Crane," Lamina mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked away.

She wasn't a very good liar.

"How'd she even know to stab you, Lams?" Elmer wondered, leaning against the railing, an emotion on his face she couldn't decipher. He rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you tried to take a bite out of her mid-party."

Lamina cringed internally, remembering the way she'd been unable to control her fangs when it came to Treech.

"It was seven minutes in heaven," Lamina said. Technically not a lie. "We were just talking and then... I don't know she went crazy— tried to attack me." She tried to remember how Arachne looked when she'd seen her body.

Lamina frowned. Bloody. Real, real bloody. She attempted to withhold a scowl. That was embarrassing. Not only were they going to believe she had gone nuts and killed the girl in a place where anyone could have seen, but they were also going to think she was a messy eater.

"How could she have known?" Darragh asked, brow creasing with worry. He turned back to face her brothers. "Elmer, I swear if you've been so careless when you're out that—"

"I'm not careless!" her brother exclaimed, standing up straight in outrage. "Dad, you know I wouldn't do anything to hurt us—"

"I smiled," Lamina said quickly, sensing a fight. She cringed as they all turned to her. "With— with the hunger it's been hard to— to keep my fangs in. I guess I just didn't notice and... she saw."

Once again, not a lie.

Her father frowned. "I can understand that." He shook his head. "I've never heard of the Crane's being Sicarii." He ripped a hand through his hair. "Was it wood or silver, Lammie?"

"Wood," she lied.

"They're probably just the paranoid type, Dad," Acacius said casually, always one to come to her rescue. "Not actually Sicarii, just those who think they are." He gave an easy grin. "Only Sicarii know about the whole silver thing."

Her father nodded warily and then wrapped her in a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart," he muttered. "I know it wasn't easy."

Lamina hung limply in his arms, guilty of the lie and guilty that it was celebrated.

Elmer slid down the railing, grinning widely as he stumbled into them. "Baby-sister's no longer a fledgling," he cooed, shaking her as their dad let her go. Elmer wiped a fake tear. "They grow up so fast."

She shoved him away. "Shut up," she mumbled, folding her arms again.

"No way, Lammie-girl," he teased. "Your first kill was way cooler than mine or Acacius's. I mean you got stabbed. All Acacius got was a credit card."

Acacius, much calmer than his twin, made his way down the stairs and clapped her on the shoulder. "Congratulations," he said, but his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I'll gather everyone tomorrow night," her father said, grinning. "To celebrate. Hopefully, Grandma will be able to fly in from Romania."

Before he could continue, his phone rang and he huffed as he glanced at the caller ID.

"I've gotta go deal with the party," he told them. He gave Lamina a gentle look. "Don't worry, we'll get it all fixed up." A crooked grin. "Next time try to be a bit more subtle, yeah?"

She withheld a cringe at the thought of a "next time" when there hadn't even been a first time.

He swung open their doors, winking at her as he closed them behind him and they heard the rumble of his truck as he pulled away.

"We're gonna have so much fun together," Elmer preened, grinning. "Acacius is more interested in his books than his food."

Acacius rolled his eyes. "Some of us actually enjoy college."

Elmer made a face. "I dropped out for a reason." Then he brightened. "I've gotta go throw out those awful supplements you take, Lammie."

He raced away before she could stop him, leaving her alone with Acacius and his suspicious stare.

Welp. That was going to be a problem.

She turned nervously to him. "Well," she started. "Guess I'll go change."

Acacius nodded, his arms folded over his t-shirt as he stared down at her.

She always figured her mother must have been tall, because the twins towered over everyone, even her 6'2 father.

"Go on," he said, nodding up the stairs. "I'll be up in a few to make sure there's no leftover splinters in your chest."

Lamina cringed as she took the stairs, knowing all he would find would be burns.

Her phone buzzed in the back pocket of her jeans as she rounded the corner to her bedroom. The buzzing didn't stop as she pulled it out. Multiple texts from Brandy, all saying some variation of "Where the hell are you?" and threats for running away and scaring the shit out of her.

It hit her then.

Treech knew. He knew.

Not only did he know but he— oh god, he had stabbed her. With a silver dagger no less.

How did he know about the silver? How had he known that silver was the only thing that could kill a Dhampyr? How had he known that wooden stakes just weakened and injured Dhampyres and only had the strength to kill the Turned?

Who was he?

Because the Treech she knew, the one who took her to school every day, who flushed at the signs she would bring to his soccer games, and who knew every single word to Mamma Mia, had never ever mentioned a hatred for Vampyres.

In truth, it wasn't something she and her friends talked about much, monsters and all. After Gaul's laws and the increase in Vampyre targeting done by Sicarii, they had all kind of faded into the background. She knew Tanner and Brandy had Werewolf in them (she could smell it, dirty dogs), and Coral's blood always smelled like saltwater, so there had to be something there too. Maybe a joke made in passing, or gossip about a classmate whose mother was a Banshee, but most monsters had assimilated into society by raising kids with humans, so there wasn't much to talk about.

All the Vampyres had gone into hiding once Gaul had convinced the Guild to target them without any reason to, and that was that.

There was no reason to talk about things that didn't exist anymore, or were so few they were never real in the first place.

But she had let her guard down and allowed herself to feel safe around humans, and had gotten staked for her troubles.

What was she going to do? She was starving, had lost her supplements, and within the first three seconds of knowing she was a Vampyre, her best friend had tried to kill her.

She had put her entire family in danger all because she couldn't control her stupid fangs.

She blinked as she suddenly stood in the floor-length mirror in her bedroom. She looked the same. Almost horrifyingly the same. Shoulder-length red hair, long lanky frame, high cheekbones.

But there was blood staining her lips, and a large rip in her shirt that's fabric was stained with blood, and a terrified look in her eyes.

She jumped when Acacius appeared behind her, a medical kit in his hand.

"I thought you were going to change," he said, staring at her in the mirror.

Lamina shook her head trying to shake herself out of the trance. "I was," she told him. "Just—give me a minute."

Disappearing into her closet, she closed her eyes and tried to calm herself, ignoring the urge to pick at her nails. If anyone was going to be able to catch her in the lie, it was going to be Acacius, with his never-ending practicality and super senses.

Stripping quickly into pajama pants and a sports bra she walked back out, attempting a smile.

Acacius looked unimpressed and gestured for her to sit down on the edge of her bed. She did so and he pulled up her vanity chair, taking a seat. He pulled out a flashlight and a cloth with antiseptic.

Her nose wrinkled at the strong scent and Acacius smiled faintly.

"We can still get infections," he explained as he cleaned away the blood. "And trust me, it hurts like a bitch trying to dig that out once it's healed over."

Ignoring the questions of how he knew what it felt like to be staked, Lamina tried to not focus on the deep, gaping hole in her chest as he flashed the light over it, using a pair of tweezers to poke around.

After a moment, he sighed and sat back, setting down his tools on her vanity and pinching the bridge of his nose beneath his glasses.

"I'm going to ask you this once," he started quietly. "And I need you to be honest with me." Flicking his eyes up to meet hers, he asked, "Did you kill that girl?"

Lamina hesitated, before bowing her head and whispering, "No."

She could see Acacius nod out of the corner of her eyes.

"And it wasn't a wooden stake that stabbed you was it?"

She shook her head.

Acacius took in a deep breath, lungs rattling with the air he didn't need.

"Ok," he breathed in an exhale, standing up and beginning to gather his things.

Lamina's head shot up. "That's it?" she asked in bafflement.

The corner of his mouth quirked up. "What were you expecting?"

"I don't know!" she exclaimed in disbelief. "For you to yell at me, or demand I tell Dad and Elmer, or— I don't know, force me to eat or something. Not—" she tried to explain— "Not 'Ok.'"

Acacius sighed and sat back down. "I can't force you to accept your nature, Lamina," he said quietly. "That's something you're going to have to do on your own." He hesitated. "And I can't tell you that it doesn't scare me. The way you're starving yourself." He looked at her intensely. "Because you are. And sooner or later your body is going to give out, or your self-control is going to break and... and I guess we'll deal with that if it comes to it."

He gave her a small smile. "But no, Lamina. I'm not going to cut open someone's neck in front of you and force you to eat."

"But Elmer—"

Acacius sighed, a sad look on his face. "Elmer was with Mom when she died," he told her, which she already knew of course, but maybe not in the way Acacius was referring to. "And you're so much like her. It scares him. To think that what could happen to her is going to happen to you."

Lamina shook her head, brow furrowed. "But they were attacked by Sicarii back in the city, where we used to live," she protested. "She didn't die because she was starving—" The look on Acacius's face cut her off. "...Did she?"

"She was a lot like you," her brother started. "In the way that she was compassionate and anxious, and hadn't ever really come to terms with what Dad turned her into."

Lamina frowned. "But... I thought she asked him to."

"She did," Acacius said quickly. "No, don't— don't think Dad forced it on her. You know Dad. You know he wouldn't ever."

Lamina nodded slowly as Acacius continued, "And she wanted it. I remember how excited she was the day after she just—" He shook his head. "I don't know I think after a while... killing the things you once were, it takes a toll I guess." He shrugged. "Not that any of us would ever know what that's like."

"So... she was starving?" Lamina's hands fiddled with the gold necklace around her neck, carefully avoiding touching the wound in her chest.

Acacius hesitated. "She started seeing how long she could go without feeding. First, it was weeks at a time, then it turned to months." He looked away. "I don't know how long it had been when she died but... I think Elmer always kind of blamed it on that. Like, if she had been eating regularly, she would have been stronger. Would have been able to protect him and herself from them." His expression turned gentle. "It's why he's so pushy about your first kill, and why he's so excited to teach you everything he knows. He thinks that if he drills it into your head that killing is a necessity and also a defense mechanism, he can save you the way he couldn't save her."

"He was nine," Lamina said, feeling the need to defend her brother from himself.

Acacius rolled his eyes. "Try telling him that."

Despite herself, Lamina laughed and Acacius cracked a grin.

He swallowed. "I also, am not going to ask about the silver burn on your palm, and the matching wound in your chest because..." He squeezed his eyes shut. "I think I have a hunch on why you're so tightlipped about it, and why you lied about it being the girl who attacked you in the first place too." When he opened his eyes, there was understanding in them. "You're protective the way she was too... but, you're really lucky they had bad aim, Lams. You could have died tonight."

Lamina almost wanted to laugh. Even now, she was still protecting Treech.

"I know," she whispered. Lamina looked away, folding her arms. "I just... I don't understand why it has to be a kill. Why can't it just be like a... I don't know a catch, snack, release."

Acacius laughed. "Well, most humans don't appreciate being bit into." He shrugged. "I think the first kill thing is just... natural? You don't have the kind of control to stop yourself the first time you taste blood." He gave her a look. "And real blood, not your supplements."

She thought back to the way Treech had tasted on her lips, how she had been able to stop herself, even then.

"But why is it celebrated?" she whined. "Why do we have to have a party and why does Grandma have to fly in from Romania?"

Acacius chuckled. "They only do the celebrations for Dhampyres. Not for the Turned."

She gave him a scathing look. "I know my family culture, Acacius."

He held his hand up in surrender. "You're the one who asked why they do them."

She was silent and he took that as his cue to continue.

"They do them for Dhampyres to signal rebirth," he told her. "For the Turned it's easy to know when they've been reborn. First, they're human, then they're not. But for Dhampyres, those of us born already dead, how do we transition? I mean it's not like we're going around slaughtering people as five year olds, and we don't have to. Most of us—" He gave her a pointed look, one that made her sheepish— "Start to get the hunger pains and the dreams by the time we're fifteen and make our first kill around sixteen, give or take."

"I don't want to kill," she said, frustrated. "I don't get why it has to be either they're dead or it doesn't count."

"I think that just came with it," Acacius said, looking thoughtful. "Like I said, you can't control it the first time, so over time everyone just started associating the first time you drink from a human as your first kill. That's just what everyone expects." He snorted. "But be my guest, Lammie, change the tradition. All you need is a human willing to be your walking blood bag and the self-control to not drain them dry."

Lamina huffed. "No need to be a smartass," she grumped.

He rolled his eyes. "I'm only being honest," he said, patting her knee and standing up. "I can't tell you what to do, Lamina. But I can tell you that you better figure it out soon. I'm pretty sure Elmer's already burned your supplements and you're seventeen. You'll be eighteen this summer." His expression turned concerned. "I've never heard of anyone going this long, or anyone being this stubborn, to be honest, but I don't want to be the first to see the consequences of it."

"I know," she whispered. "I know I can't go for much longer I just..." She shook her head. "I'll figure it out. Don't worry."

He snorted as he walked toward her door, medical kit in hand. "You better," he said teasingly. "Because I won't be able to help you when Elmer and Dad find out you still haven't eaten." His face turned stern as he turned to look at her. "I may not force your fangs on someone's throat, but I can't say I'll be able to stop them from doing so."

She swallowed thickly. "Yeah," she said faintly. "Thanks, Acacius."

He winked at her as he walked out the door, shutting it behind him. She fell backward on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

God. What the hell was she going to do?

Her phone buzzed again— another text from Brandy.

She shut her phone off and closed her eyes. 

That was what she was going to do.

Avoid, avoid, avoid, and when she couldn't avoid, run.

First rule of being a Defensor: Never, ever, panic.

Since the moment Treech saw Lamina's fangs, all he'd been doing was panicking.

It was like he blacked out when he saw the blood on her fangs, and then he'd seen her hand coming up toward him, and all his training had kicked in and he'd pulled out the stake and stabbed her.

If he hadn't flinched at the last second, she'd have been dead on the floor in front of him.

And she hadn't dissolved into ash, so she clearly wasn't a Bittenborne.

Which meant the brother he'd joked about not liking him, was a fully grown, 6'5 Bloodborne Vampyre.

He'd panicked when she'd ripped out the stake like it was nothing because, again, holy shit she was a Bloodborne.

Panicked when Brandy'd opened the pantry door, panicked as he had snatched the stake up when the blonde had turned to watch Lamina run away.

Ran after her in a panic, not sure what he was planning to do— talk to her, demand answers, apologize, make sure she was dead for good?

Panicked like a little bitch when the Sheriff had shown up because, holy shit he was a Vampyre and Treech had just staked his daughter.

He didn't know clearly, because Darragh had greeted him warmly, a hand to the shoulder as he guided the terrified teenagers out of the house to let his deputies do their job. Asked kind questions and assured them they would get to the bottom of who killed Arachne.

It had taken everything in Treech not to glare at the man. He knew who killed Arachne.

Lamina.

Alright, well, maybe not Lamina directly because she had been— uh, a bit busy at the time of death (No, Treech! Stop it!).

That was another cause for the panic.

He had just made out with Lamina.

Lamina.

He pushed down a giddy giggle at the thought of it.

No! Bad Treech!

Lamina was a Vampyre. Bloodsucker. Damned. Nosferatu.

Fuck she was a good kisser too, though.

Treech wanted to sink into a hole and die. He'd been practically throwing himself at a Vampyre since freshmen year. God, this was so embarrassing. Elowen was going to have a field day.

His knuckles were white as he drove back to Tanner's house, Coral quietly lecturing Mizzen for running away in the backseat. Brandy was tapping furiously at her phone in the passenger seat, and Tanner was asleep behind Treech with his head on the window.

The group was somber, the night halting to an abrupt end with Arachne's murder.

"I'm gonna kill her," Brandy fumed, shutting her phone off.

Treech knew who she was talking about, and had the insane urge to make a joke about how he had tried.

Coral cut off her lecture, leaning around the seat to stick her head in the middle. "She still not answering?"

"No!" Brandy exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "She could be dead for all we know."

"Definitely not dead," Treech muttered, eyes on the road.

Brandy whipped her head to look at him. "What the hell did you do to her?"

"Me?" Treech protested, deeply offended. "Why would you think I did something to her?"

Alright. Maybe Brandy wasn't wrong to think that. He had stabbed her, but that was the extent of it! She had pulled it out no problem! She was fine.

Hopefully.

Coral rolled her eyes. "Treech wouldn't do anything to hurt her, Brandy," she said. "You know that."

A sharp pang in his heart. He had hurt her. Acted on instinct and tried to kill her. Looked at her like some bloodthirsty beast the way he'd been taught to but he just... he was having a hard time reconciling the fact that Lamina, his Lamina, was a bloodsucker.

In what world?

"She's probably just really freaked out," Coral continued. "I mean, she looked practically catatonic when I saw her in the living room. Bolted out of there like she was at one of her Cross Country meets."

Brandy frowned. "Maybe." Then she sighed as Treech pulled up to her house. "What a fucking night."

Treech couldn't help but agree as he opened his door to get out. What was he going to do?

He couldn't tell his parents, he knew that much. They would kill first, ask questions later.

He cringed. Like he had.

He tugged Tanner out of the backseat and they all dragged their way into the twins' house, none of them having the energy to change out of their clothes, simply collapsing onto the couches in their high-ceilinged living room.

Treech lay awake as Tanner and Brandy's snores filled the room, hands folded over his stomach.

This was bullshit. All of it.

The fact that he finally, finally, got the girl, only to lose her a moment later

He and his family hadn't been Defensors since he was eleven! They'd given it up three years after Tilia was born, no longer needed and no longer satisfied by it but still... that stupid training that had been drilled into him since he could walk had kicked in and he had nearly killed her.

Jesus he was going to be sick.

It was bullshit that he had almost killed her, it was bullshit that she was a Vampyre, and it was really really bullshit that she had never told him.

He tried not to pout like a little kid.

It was a hell of a big secret to keep, you know, being a different species and all.

(Were they different species? Training didn't exactly cover that.)

Everything was starting to make sense though. Her aversion to sunlight, the fact that he'd never seen her eat, her inability to wear silver.

The fact that he was absolutely, horribly, unceasingly in love with her.

It all made sense!

Nosferatu rely on their uncanny ability to lure in prey. They find pleasure in it.

That had to be it.

He had to give it to her. She'd been pulling a ridiculously long con on him if the whole goal was to eat him. A seven year long con in fact.

He scowled. She must've been from one of the longer lines if she had that kind of patience.

Sometimes Vampyres were like that. They'd find a human to toy with, one that caught their attention, and would see how long they could go without snapping and draining them dry.

He smiled smugly. That was probably why she was so freaked out when he caught her. Never expected him to catch on did you, Lamina?

But then, why hadn't she killed him right then and there? Especially after he had already staked her?

He frowned. That was confusing.

Maybe he could admit that Vampyres weren't the mindless killers he'd been taught to believe they were, Lamina was clever after all, much cleverer than he had ever been, so what was her game?

Why had she let him go? Why had she run away? Did she know something about Arachne's death?

Brandy let out a loud snore and Treech started. Did Brandy know? Did Tanner?

They had all known each other for much longer than he had, could she have slipped up and told them when they were little and then blackmailed them all into keeping it a secret?

For the first time in a long time, Treech hated the fact that his parents had retired from the Guild and moved them out to the country when he was eleven.

He knew Lamina hadn't always lived here too, that she had moved a few years before him from the city after the death of her mother.

After the death of her mother... was her mother a Vampyre too?

Lamina had never said how she died, just that it was a tragic accident that called for her father to claim they all needed a fresh start.

He had so many questions. Questions for Lamina, for his friends, for her family.

He hated not having answers, and he hated the still stinging cut on his lip Lamina had given him, but maybe not as much as he hated having hurt her.

He hated having hurt her and he hated himself because everything in his training told him that he had done the right thing, but everything in his heart told him he hadn't.

Treech was the last one up the next day, and he woke with a start to the sounds of sizzling bacon and laughter.

It was wrong. Completely wrong when Arachne was dead, Treech was terrified, and Lamina was a fucking Vampyre.

He groaned, slinging an arm across his eyes and Coral snorted from the kitchen.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," she said. "Sleep well?"

Treech sat up, glaring at her over the warm, brown couch.

She was grinning, perched on the island in the twins' kitchen, Brandy across from her at the stove, smirking over her shoulder at him. Tanner was sat at a stool, his back to Treech, head slumped against a glass of water.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the couch," Brandy remarked, turning back to her pan.

Tanner groaned. "Why are we all talking so loud?"

"What do you mean?" Coral asked innocently, though her voice had risen several decibels.

Tanner glared and Brandy snickered.

"What time is it?" Treech asked, swinging his legs around to the floor, standing to make his way into the kitchen.

"Little after twelve," Coral answered. "We all slept in late. Brandy's making breakfast." Then she looked over at the girl in question. "Lunch?" Her brow furrowed. "Brunch?"

"Bacon," Brandy offered.

"Where's Mizzen?" Treech wondered, taking a seat next to Tanner who barely acknowledged it.

"Outside looking at the horses," Brandy said, shutting off the stove. "Probably trying to figure out how to attach a saddle."

Treech nodded. Then he swallowed. Oh hell. How the hell was he supposed to tell Brandy her best friend was a bloodsucker?

"Would you grab me that oven mitt?" Brandy asked Coral who nodded, hopping off the counter.

Brandy took it from her with a smile and dumped the pile of bacon onto a waiting plate. She slid it onto the island giving Tanner a look.

"Eat," she told him sternly, rolling her eyes as she turned away, muttering, "Fucking lightweight."

"Yes, Mom," Tanner mocked, reaching for a piece.

She came back with a glass of water, leaning over the counter and taking a piece for herself as Coral joined her.

"What's your deal?" Coral asked, nodding toward Treech, mouth full. "You look like you're gonna be sick."

Treech's eyes widened. "Why do you say that?" he asked, eyes avoiding hers as he reached for a piece of bacon.

"You look green," Brandy added. "But I guess we can't judge too harshly. I mean we did all witness a murder last night."

"She was already dead I think," Tanner said. "Not that I got a good look."

They were quiet for a moment and then Coral asked, "Who do you think did it?"

Treech swallowed. He had to tell them. They deserved to know, and maybe they knew something else about Lamina that would help him decide what to do with her.

Mizzen came tumbling through their front door, smelling like stables and sweat, grinning wildly.

"I'm never leaving," he declared. "North Dakota and I are best friends now."

Tanner scoffed. "North Dakota's easily won."

"North Dakota's a horse," Brandy said.

"Bacon?" Coral asked, holding out the plate for him.

They needed to know. Treech had to tell them.

Mizzen grabbed a piece eagerly before asking without much interest, "Anyone hear anything about that chick from last night?"

Coral rolled her eyes. "You should show some more tact when talking about the dead, Miz."

He shrugged. "She always pushed people in the hallways. Maybe someone finally got tired of it."

It would be ok. They would figure it out. They deserved to know.

"Domitia said Sejanus and Coriolanus had to go in for questioning this morning," Tanner told them, finally getting up to go get himself more water, his eyes a bit more focused.

Coral snorted. "Like those two will—"

"Can we move to the couches?" Treech interrupted abruptly, successfully cutting off all conversation.

They turned to look at him before Tanner ventured, "...Why?"

"Because I—" Treech stood, ripping a hand through his hair. "I've got something we need to talk about."

Coral and Brandy shared an amused look and Coral started, "Treech, we know you and Lamina made out last night. You don't need to tell us like it's some big—"

He blushed a bright red. "It's not that!" he exclaimed. "Can we just— please?"

Coral stared at him for a moment before shrugging. "Alright, I guess. Come on guys."

They moved to one of the many couches in the twins' high-ceilinged living room, piling in together, the plate of bacon in Mizzen's lap. Treech paced in front of them. They were all silent.

"Treech," Tanner started. "If you're going to tell us that you had something to do with—"

"Lamina's a Vampyre," he blurted, pulling to a stop.

They all blinked before Brandy burst out laughing.

"Oh boy," she chuckled. "That's a good one Treech. Really, where'd you come up with it?"

"I'm not—" he huffed in frustration— "I'm not kidding, Brandy. I know she is. I saw it!"

Brandy rolled her eyes, crossing her arms and leaning back into the couch. "Treech, I don't know what you think you saw but—"

"I saw fangs!" he told them.

Coral shrugged. "Maybe she's something else, Lumberjack," she suggested easily. "Fangs don't always mean Vampyre."

"Yeah," Mizzen agreed, swallowing the last piece of bacon, much to Tanner's chagrin. "Our mom has fangs and we've got Kelpie blood, we aren't bloodsuckers."

Treech paused. "... You have what?"

Coral rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you're one of those who freaks out around monsters. Practically everyone has some kind of connection to them these days."

Brandy nodded. "Tanner and I's Granddaddy's a Werewolf," she said, and then she frowned, looking over at her brother. "But I don't think he has fangs."

Tanner shook his head. "He barely has teeth anymore. Definitely no fangs."

"Hold on," Treech said, holding his hands up. "Why have I never known this?"

Tanner shrugged. "It's never been brought up."

"But I—" Holy fuck was Treech the worst Defensor ever or what? Every single one of his friends was some kind of monster and he'd had no clue. He shook his head. "Ok, you know what we'll come back to this because my brain can't process it right now, but... I know what I saw. Lamina's a Vampyre."

"What makes you so sure they were Vampyre fangs?" Coral questioned.

"Because," Treech muttered, the tips of his ears going red in embarrassment. "They were, you know—" They stared at him and it was clear they didn't know. He frowned. "Lamina and I were kissing and it was—" He huffed, covering his face with his hands. Maybe he should have just let Lamina kill him. It would have saved him this embarrassment. "It was hot. And then her fangs cut my lip and I— when I saw them she was still hot." He looked up meekly. "That's what Vampyre fangs do. Nosferatu are hunters; their choice of weapon is seduction. Everything about them is designed to draw you in, even their fangs."

Coral looked severely unimpressed. "Right," she said with a sigh. "Have you ever thought maybe— and hear me out— you're just attracted to Lamina and want to rip her clothes off?"

Brandy made a face. "It's like imagining my parents."

"Aw come on!" Treech replied, rolling his eyes. "Three out of the four of us have had a thing for her— and the one who hasn't is gay."

"There's five of us," Mizzen corrected in indignation.

"You don't count," Treech told him offhandedly and the boy fell back into the couch, pouting.

"And for the record, even if I was into—" Tanner swallowed thickly— "girls, I would not be into Lamina."

"Treech, I've known Lamina practically our whole lives. I would know it if she stopped aging because she'd been bit," Brandy told him, amusement edging on irritation.

Treech shook his head stubbornly. "She's not a Bittenborne," he protested.

Coral snorted out a laugh. "You can't expect us to believe Lamina Woodrow is a Bloodborne Vampyre," she told him in vague disbelief. "She cried when we dissected a rat in Biology freshmen year."

"Treech, dude, what the hell has gotten into you?" Tanner asked. "Why are you so dead-set on this?"

"Because!" he shouted and then with quick movements, he ripped the stake out of his waistband and threw it onto the coffee table unceremoniously. "I staked her, and she's still alive."

The four of them leaned forward to inspect it closer. Brandy reached out a tentative finger, touching it gingerly and wincing just the barest amount when it made contact.

Mizzen snickered and leaned back. "Well, there's your first problem, Van Helsing," he said. "That stake is silver. Everyone knows it had to be wood."

Treech withheld the urge to jump across the table and strangle him. It would probably be a bad look to strangle a fourteen year old boy.

Coral picked it up and held it at eye level. "It's got blood on it," she observed. "So you did stab it into something." She gave him a look. "Don't tell me you're the one who killed Arachne."

"If you are being genuinely serious about that, then you're entirely too calm for my liking," Treech retorted. "But, no, I didn't kill Arachne."

He could tell you who did though.

Tanner raised his brows in amusement. "So you saw fangs and your first instinct was to stab her?" He snorted. "Remind me to never make out with you."

Treech hated to admit he was more offended than he should be. "You're supposed to be on my side!"

"You weren't the one who was stabbed!" Then Tanner made a face. "Look at what you've done. You've got me defending Lamina."

"Alright, I'll bite," Coral said, placing the stake down and folding her arms. "You stabbed Lamina and she isn't dead on the side of the road and instead lived through it. My first question is why you had a stake on your person in the first place. No one's carried preventative measures since the banishment, and Miz is right. I've never heard of anyone using silver to kill Vampyres, only Werewolves."

Brandy glowered.

"No offense," Coral added.

Treech hesitated. This was the part of the story he was hoping to skirt around, especially after finding out all of his friends had closer ties to monsters than he had originally been led to believe.

He picked up the stake, tracing the engravings on it as he said, "My family are Defensors. I was trained until the age of eleven when we retired and moved here."

There was silence and then Brandy said, "Are you being for real right now?"

They all looked wary and he couldn't exactly blame them. When his parents were kids, there was a strong divide between monsters and mortals, and Defensors were a much bigger threat than they were now. Eventually, though, monsters had been allowed to assimilate into society and Defensors were only kept around to go after rogues. In all honesty, Vampyres were the only ones who'd been villainized and resolutely refused when it came to being a part of society as most thought of them as a disease, and that notion had only been further spread by Dr. Gaul.

"It was instinct," he defended quietly. "To stab her and I— I flinched. It's why she isn't dead." He placed the stake back on the table, taking a step back. His tone became an informational one as he determinedly pushed down any emotion. "The silver is something only Defensors know. Wooden stakes don't kill Bloodbornes, only Bittenbornes. Silver is what actually kills them, straight to the heart, and it'll kill Bittenbornes too, so we don't even bother with wood anymore."

"How come no one knows about silver?" Mizzen asked in poorly concealed interest.

Treech smiled roughly. "It's a super well-kept secret within their community. Dr. Gaul was the one who discovered it. She shared it with Defensors when she convinced the Guild to target Nosferatu without cause to. The Guild used to only send out Defensors when the monster had proved to be a danger to society, but Gaul convinced the President that all Vampyres were dangerous. That they were Damned. Most of them were eradicated after." He frowned. "Not all I guess."

"I still don't understand how you're so convinced she's Bloodborne," Brandy said.

"Bittenbornes can't even touch silver," he explained. "When we were—" he coughed— "you know, I think she touched the stake in my waistband because she pulled back at the same time I did. If she were anything else it wouldn't have affected her as much and if she were one of the Turned, it would have disintegrated her on the spot."

Tanner whistled. "Pulling away from a makeout because you both have low pain tolerance. What a bust."

Treech scowled at that. When Tanner gets slit open by a Vampyre fang, then he could talk.

Coral let out a sigh. "Alright," she said, shrugging. "I believe it."

Brandy turned sharply to her. "Are you kidding?" she protested, brow pulling together in righteous anger.

Coral shook her head. "I saw her last night, Brandy," she told her. "She was really freaked out and I tried to grab her and she just— ripped out of my grasp like it was nothing. I've never felt that kind of strength before." She folded her arms over her chest. "I play Flag Football. I know what it feels like when someone tries to pull out of your hold. It doesn't feel like that."

Brandy scoffed in derision. "So what?" she asked angrily. "We're just gonna let him go gut Lamina like she's some mindless bloodsucker?"

"No," Coral said firmly, turning to look at Treech. "She is still our friend. Even if she is an overgrown mosquito."

Treech frowned. "Don't you think I know that? I don't want to hurt her I just—" He ripped a hand through his curls. "I find out Lamina's a Vampyre the same night Arachne dies at the same party?" He shook his head. "That can't be a coincidence."

"You think Lamina had something to do with it?" Tanner asked in disbelief.

"I don't know," Treech admitted. "But I—" He cut himself off, pleading. "You guys have to understand I took an oath. They make us when we turn ten. This is all I know. I'm going against everything I was taught by not immediately going to my parents. I haven't... and I'm not going to. I don't want to hurt her."

"Then what do you want Treech?" Brandy questioned, eyes intense.

"I want her to explain," he shot back. "And if she killed Arachne, if she's the heartless killer that I've always been told they are... then I'm turning her in."

He was firm and Brandy was angry.

She laughed. "Right," she said bitterly as she stood up. "Do what you want, but I'm not doing anything that'll put her in danger."

"Brandy," Coral sighed. "Get out of your head and listen to him for a minute won't you?"

Brandy crossed her arms and looked away as Coral continued.

"The turning in and the staking is all based on if she's the killer Treech thinks she is," Coral said calmly. "You don't think she is, right?"

"Absolutely not!" Brandy said immediately. "And even if she is—" she shot a scathing look at Treech— "I'd give her a hug for KO'ing Arachne before I turned her in."

Treech huffed, shaking his head and looking away.

"Then it's fine," Coral urged. "We demand she explain everything and when she does, Treech will realize she's still the same Lamina she's always been and you'll get answers." She gave her a look. "Don't you want answers?" Coral asked gently. "She's been our friend for years— longer than Treech has— and yet she's kept this kind of secret from us?" Coral looked away, fingers picking at the skin around her nails in a rare show of unsureness. "I know I want answers."

Brandy didn't say anything to that, but Treech could see her resolve cracking. She looked out the window and asked, "What's your plan?"

With a start, Treech realized she was talking to him. "We'll go to her house tonight. Climb through her window or something and—" He hesitated. "Just demand she explain."

Treech cringed. Even he could admit it wasn't very convincing.

Brandy scoffed. "Right, genius. Because breaking into a house full of Vampyres is—"

Her phone pinged, cutting her off and all of her attention immediately focused on it, fumbling to pull it out of the deep pocket of her joggers.

When she turned on the screen, she stared at it for a moment before saying quietly, "It's Lamina."

Coral, Tanner, and Mizzen all jumped up. Treech jerked, taking a step forward.

"What did she say?" he demanded.

Brandy swallowed. "That she's ok and she's sorry she didn't answer me last night." She shot him an accusing look. "That she's just pretty freaked out."

Mizzen snorted. "I would be too if I survived a murder attempt."

"Ask her to do something tonight," Treech said. "If we can get her out of her house then she'll be easily surprised and we won't have to deal with her brothers or her dad."

He grimaced, intensely unenthused by the thought of fighting three full-grown Bloodborne Vampyres. Elmer already wasn't his biggest fan.

Brandy typed back quickly and they all waited with bated breath as she stared at the dots that said Lamina was sending a reply.

The phone dinged again and Treech had to fight the urge to rip it out of her hand to read it himself.

"She can't," Brandy said and Treech's shoulders dropped. Brandy hesitated as she read the rest of the text. She glanced up, agitated. "She said they're having a family celebration tonight," she told them quietly.

Treech's breath caught in his throat. A family celebration.

Searching through his memory of textbooks and lectures given by his father, he felt vaguely ill at the memory that Bloodbornes considered the first kill a rite of passage.

Wondering if he needed to sit down he said, "Then we'll crash it."

"Are you insane?" Tanner exclaimed, brows rising in disbelief. "As all in for making Lamina uncomfortable and freaking her out as I am, if you're right then that means her "family celebration" is a celebration full of Vampyres." He looked around incredulously. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm full of hot blood I'm sure they'd love to get their hands on."

Brandy rolled her eyes, pocketing her phone. "More like you're full of hot air."

"I'm in," Mizzen said excitedly, bouncing on his feet. "As long as Treech gets me a cool stake and night goggles."

Coral opened her mouth, clearly revving up to disagree when Mizzen interrupted with, "Coral, I will literally walk to the Woodrow's mansion if you leave me here there is no way you're kicking me out of a Vampyre hunt. This is like the sci-fi adventure of my dreams."

Coral's nostrils flared. "If you get yourself drained or Turned I'm burning every single Marvel comic you own."

After a brief look of outrage, Mizzen swallowed nervously, clearly aware she would follow through on the threat. "Got it," he muttered.

Brandy still looked hesitant. "What if... what if she is the way everyone says they are?" she asked quietly. "What do we do then?"

Treech's face hardened. He didn't want it to be true. He was so afraid it would be. But he would handle it if it were.

"Then watch your back," he said firmly. "And protect your neck."

When planning a stakeout, Treech always expected the worst thing to be the waiting.

It turned out, the worst thing was Mizzen's questions.

Well— Mizzen's questions and the joke Tanner had made about him being a 'corpse ninja'. Treech frowned. That one was probably going to stick.

"Have you ever killed a monster?" Mizzen asked.

Treech bit back a sigh. "Yes."

"What kind?"

"A chupacabra."

"When?"

"When I was nine."

"Why?"

"It showed up in our garden one day and tried to eat Tilia."

"Are your whole family Defensors?"

"No."

"Who isn't?"

"Elowen and Tilia were too young to take the oath when we retired."

"Did you only hunt Vampyres?"

"Mostly."

"Why nothing else?"

"The Guild didn't deem anything else as big of a threat."

"What's the Guild?"

"The National Guild of Supernatural Elimination."

"That's a long name."

"Yep."

"What's the difference between Bloodbornes and, uh..."

"Bittenbornes?" Brandy supplied from her place behind Treech's driver's side and a quick glance in the rearview mirror showed her cheeky smile, clearly relishing in Treech's annoyance. He glared.

Currently, they were all piled into Treech's jeep parked down the street from Lamina's manor, watching as the Woodrows' guests arrived, each one dressed better than the rest. Whatever celebration they were having, it was an extravagant one. The house was lit up with golden light and music spilled out of the open doors.

"Yeah," Mizzen said excitedly bouncing in his seat between the twins, the night vision goggles Treech had nicked from his parents' collection in a quick stop home atop his forehead. "Bittenbornes. What's the difference between Bloodbornes and Bittenbornes?"

"Exactly like what it sounds," Treech answered, eyes scanning the area, his fists clenched tightly on the wheel. "We refer to the Turned as Bittenbornes because they had once been human and were diseased with a bite. Bloodbornes were born with the disease."

"I thought Vampyres can't have children," Mizzen said, brows furrowed.

"They can't."

"Then how—"

"Male Vampyres can have children with mortal women," Treech exclaimed.

Mizzen frowned. "Why would they do that?"

Treech sighed. "It's really only the old lines who choose to," he told them. "I would bet Lamina's dad is from an old line." He gestured toward the extravagance of their home and the party. "Some call them Ancients; they have lines that can be traced back to before calendar dates. There aren't a lot of them, but there are a select few families that are fairly large in the community. It's all generational wealth and cultural traditions with them. They grow their families by marrying human women and having children with them. They call their children Dhampyres."

"So Lamina's a Dhampyre?"

"Yes," Treech said, confidently. "We've all seen her physically change so she can't be one of the Turned. Dhampyres stop aging around twenty-five."

"I always thought her dad looked young," Tanner said thoughtfully.

Treech nodded. "He does, but he could be centuries old for all we know."

"Do you think her dad killed her mom?" Brandy asked quietly.

Treech hesitated. "I..." He swallowed. "I've been taught that Nosferatu steal women from their families and force them into marriage but..." Shaking his head, he said, "I don't think so. I mean, her house is covered in photos of her mom. I think somehow he really loved her."

"Is her dad a Dhampyre?" Mizzen wondered.

"I would say yes," Treech told them. "Most of the Ancient families are now. All the originals were killed ages ago."

"So there's Turned and there's Dhampyres?" Coral asked from the passenger seat, eyes focused in front of her.

"Yes," Treech said. "You all know the terms Bloodborne and Bittenborne, but Lamina would probably use Turned and Dhampyre." His nose wrinkled. "The Bloodbornes are kind of snobs when it comes to Bittenbornes."

Coral laughed. "Of course there's bigotry even when it comes to Vampyres."

"Do you think they wear capes?" Tanner asked suddenly.

Treech scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous—"

He cut himself off at the sight of a very tall, very broad man, in a very long black cape.

Tanner grinned smugly. "You were saying?"

Treech huffed. "I guess they have to dress their best when celebrating a first kill."

"Lamina didn't kill Arachne, Treech," Brandy protested, eyes rolling.

"We'll see."

"I can't believe we've been friends with a Vampyre since we were five," Tanner said in disbelief, for what was probably the thirteenth time. "It's like my whole life's a lie."

"I can't believe Dad never picked up on the fact that Lamina is a Vampyre," Brandy said. "His sense of smell is so much better than ours."

"It's easy to miss things when you aren't looking for them," Treech said quietly, watching the Sherrif walk out of the manor to talk to Lamina's brothers, who were both dressed in Italian suits and had been at their grand front doors greeting guests.

Elmer nodded and they both began to close the doors.

"This is ridiculous," Brandy huffed. "We've been here since sundown and no sign of Lamina."

"She's the guest of honor, Brandy," Treech argued. "Of course she hasn't shown up."

"Then what's the plan here, Treech?" she asked. "Because I feel like a right dirtbag sitting here spying on my best friend when I could just walk into her house and ask her my questions."

"And then what?" Treech refuted. "Chase her as she freaks out and runs away just like she did last night?"

"Maybe she won't run away because I'm not going to stab her!"

"I said I was sorry!"

Brandy crossed her arms. "This is dumb."

"I'm bored," Tanner declared.

"You all would fail the certification test," Treech muttered.

"For once in my life, I agree with my brother!" Brandy exclaimed, unbuckling her seatbelt. "I'm not going to sit here when I can go and ask her."

She began to open up the car door, attempting to step out and Treech reached behind him, scrambling to grab her arm. "Brandy, don't, they—"

Brandy stopped mid-step when Elmer's head snapped up. The group held their breath as his eyes narrowed.

"Not a word," Treech whispered through gritted teeth.

Elmer just needs to go inside. He didn't see anything. He wasn't going to investigate. Nothing happened.

Treech withheld a curse as Elmer said something to Acacius, who nodded and disappeared inside. He swallowed thickly as Elmer turned back slowly.

Vampyres were territorial. Older brothers were distrustful. Elmer would not take it well if he discovered Lamina's friends were not only crashing one of the most important nights of a Bloodbornes life, but also that they each had a silver stake.

Oh fuck me, Treech thought as Elmer took a step toward their car.

Shoving at Coral frantically he said urgently, "Go go go."

She needed no other convincing and opened her side door quickly, tumbling out of it. Treech launched himself over the console falling out behind her as Tanner, Mizzen, and Brandy followed suit.

"Treech, what the fuck?" Brandy exclaimed.

He wasted no time, pushing at them to start running.

"Elmer already hates me," he panted as they disappeared into the woods next to the mansion. "Do you know what he would do to us if he found out we're planning to kidnap his little sister?"

"He has always given me the heebie-jeebies," Brandy said next to him, perfectly in breath and Treech barely stopped himself from shoving her to the ground.

"You owe me so bad," Tanner puffed at the back of the group, who hated running and deeply despised Lamina. Treech cringed. Yeah, ok, he'd give that one to Tanner. He was forcing him to interact with two of his least favorite things. "I'm gonna kill you."

"Get in line," Treech mumbled.

"Where are we going?" Coral asked, hand wrapped tightly around Mizzen's wrist, dragging him behind her.

"I don't know I—"

He ran straight into something hard, hitting his head against it and tumbling backward, almost losing his balance.

"Ow, holy fuck—" Holding his head, he glanced up, and straightened his back, his eyes locking with familiar brown ones.

He screamed, which caused Lamina to scream, which then caused everyone else to scream.

Lamina was the first to come to her senses, cutting off her scream and hissing at them to shut up.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Lamina whispered harshly, pulling closer.

Treech clamped his mouth shut and if it were any other time, he probably would've dropped dead to the ground at the sight of her. She was gorgeous. Half of her red hair pulled back and impossibly redder against the emerald green silk of her dress, a long, draping thing that exposed almost all of the creamy skin of her shoulders and chest. Treech blinked.

"Awoogaa," Tanner said blandly behind him.

Lamina glared. "You all need to leave. Right now."

"Lamina—" Brandy started.

"No," Lamina snapped, looking at her. "I don't know what you think you know or what you're planning to do, but the five of you are being extremely stupid showing up here."

"And why is that?" Coral questioned.

Lamina folded her arms over her chest and Treech averted his eyes, but not after noticing the smooth skin over her heart, completely void of any scar.

"I'm not going to explain what you clearly already know," she sniffed. "You're going to get yourself killed. Go."

Brandy stepped forward, eyes pleading. "Lamina we just want—"

"No!" Lamina seethed, before doubling down coughing, a hand wrapping around her stomach.

Instinctively, Treech surged forward, holding his hands to her arms and she jumped back.

"Don't you dare touch me," she said, eyeing him like an enclosed animal.

"Mina," Treech choked out, breath catching in his throat. "If we could just talk—"

"What and give you the chance to try and kill me again?" she refuted, pale skin looking green. "I'm telling you right now you all need to leave before—"

"Unwanted guests, Lammie-dearest?" called a voice behind Treech.

He spun around, tensing at the malicious smirk on Elmer's face, his posture calm and relaxed as he drew up to the group. Coral pulled Mizzen tighter to her.

"They were just leaving," Lamina said through gritted teeth.

Elmer frowned playfully. "So soon?" he asked. "But they just got here! We wouldn't want them to miss out on the fun."

"Elmer," Lamina warned. "They're leaving."

"Are you seriously going to let them go, Lammie?" His grin dropped as he held up a silver stake to show her, unwavering at the redness on his palm, ignoring the leather hilt. Treech cursed, feeling the emptiness in his waistband. "After they've shown up with such rude gifts?"

Lamina flinched at the sight of it. "Elmer, please," she whispered. "Just leave it."

Elmer's glare darkened. "And let another one of my family get murdered by Sicarii?" he spit, eyes moving toward Treech.

Lamina stepped forward, placing herself between her brother and her friends. "No one is getting hurt tonight," she said slowly.

"And last night?" Elmer asked angrily. "Don't think I've forgotten about that wound on your chest just because it's healed."

"It's gone, Elmer!" Lamina exclaimed. "I'm fine. No harm done!"

"Maybe not yet!" Elmer shouted, finally dropping the stake, fingers flexing against the burn. "But what about next time? What happens when he decides to finally do you in?"

Lamina's mouth clamped shut, and without a thought Treech found himself saying firmly, "I won't."

Lamina stared at him with a disconcerting look in her eyes, one of fear, and heartbreak, and love. He held her gaze. She needed to know that he meant it. That he was going to beat himself up for the rest of the days that he lived for hurting her in the way that he had.

Elmer's eyes darted toward him. "Murderers don't change," he spat coldly.

Lamina pulled herself away from Treech's gaze.

"Elmer," she whispered. "I'm not Mom. I'm not going to—"

"Aren't you?" Elmer demanded, eyes squeezing shut. "Because you're starving yourself the same way she did, and if you keep this up you're going to get yourself killed the same way she did!"

Lamina jerked. "Elmer, I'm not starving I—"

"I know you didn't kill that girl, Lamina!" Elmer exclaimed. The siblings stared at each other and Treech watched as everything in Elmer seemed to deflate. He sighed. "I know because I did."

"What?" Lamina gasped, hands clenching in the fabric of her dress. "Why would you—"

"I thought if I killed someone and let you see it, make it really bloody, that maybe you'd give in. Maybe you'd finally feed," Elmer said. "I should've known you'd be the only Vampyre in the history of Vampyres to be more stubborn than you are hungry."

"But..." Lamina trailed off, clearly shocked. "But last night you were so happy! You threw out my pills! Why would you do that if you knew—"

"Because I smelled his blood on you!" Elmer shouted, gesturing ferociously at Treech. "I saw the wound! I thought that you really had done what you'd said you did. Fought off a Sicarius and drained them dry— I just knew it wasn't the girl."

Lamina's face wrinkled in disgust. "You don't even know her name. You killed her and you don't even—"

"This is who we are, Lams!" Elmer shouted desperately. "We're killers! We're Damned! We're murderers and it's high time you accept who you are!"

"No!" Lamina shouted. "No! I won't— I'm not going to be that! I won't do it!"

Elmer bared his fangs. "Your mortality is making you weak," he hissed. "It's making you sick, Lamina. Look at yourself."

Treech hated to admit it, but he could see the fear in Elmer's eyes as he looked at his little sister. As twisted as his methods were, he was only doing it to help her, and as an older brother himself, terrifyingly, he understood.

Lamina shook her head stubbornly. "I'm not going to sacrifice my morals for my body, Elmer," she said firmly. "You can't make me."

Stiffly, they stared at each other. Elmer nodded calmly.

"Alright," he said. "Watch me."

Treech was very ashamed to admit that for someone who had been very adamant his instincts were stronger than his conscious, his instincts seemed to have fled the country when Elmer launched himself at him.

He ducked, though it was unneeded as Elmer didn't have the chance to get within three feet of him before Lamina grabbed him.

Treech stared unhelpfully as Lamina and Elmer stood locked in a standstill, foreheads pressed together, hands gripping each other's biceps as they tried to gain purchase over the other. 

"Elmer," Lamina growled, shoving him backward as he tried to throw her off guard. "They are going to leave. Unharmed."

"I'm sorry, Lamina," Elmer said and she cried out in pain as his nails dug into her.

Treech tried to surge forward to help her but Tanner grabbed him by the shoulders.

Treech fought against his hold, but Tanner held him tight.

"Getting in the middle of a Vampyre fight?" Tanner asked harshly in his ear. "Not the best idea you've ever had."

Treech watched as Lamina began to lose her footing, sliding backward in the grass as Elmer shoved her backward. With a snarl, Lamina moved her hands to his throat, ramming his back into a nearby tree.

Elmer's head snapped against the bark and he laughed. "Someone's strong when they're facing a threat, huh?"

Lamina slammed him hard against it again. "I'm sick of you always thinking you know what's best for me," she seethed. "I'm not Mom!"

Elmer shoved her away from him, his hair ruffled and suit disheveled. "Then quit acting like her!" he yelled. He threw his hand at them. "You have five different types to choose from. Choose."

"How many times am I going to have to say this for it to get through your thick head?" Lamina exclaimed, eyes narrowing, fists clenched at her side. "Over my dead body."

Elmer laughed incredulously. "Oh, so that's the goal is it?" He took a step toward her, face softening ever the slightest. "Lamina, look at yourself. I mean really look. You're doing just that."

"I'm fine, Elmer," Lamina said through a clenched jaw.

Treech... had to disagree. Every muscle in her body was pulled taut and tense, and she had goosebumps covering her green-tinged skin. Her eyes were glassy and if Treech looked closely, he could see her shaking.

Elmer stood up straight, dusting himself off, his face twisted in a snarl. "Fine," he fumed. "Let yourself die. Kill yourself. But I won't be here to watch it."

He stared at her for a moment more before scoffing in disgust at both his sister and her friends, and stalking back to where he came from.

Lamina watched him go intensely, tracking his movements with her glassy eyes, and when he had finally disappeared, the life drained out of her and she stumbled back.

Treech caught her underneath her armpits, her head falling back against his shoulder, eyelids closing.

"Lamina," he said frantically. "Lamina, what's wrong?"

He shook her slightly, trying not to be too rough even though he was starting to panic.

She made a noise and then shot out of his arms like a bullet.

"Go," she hissed, head down.

"Lamina, what—"

"Go!" she shouted, head shooting up and Mizzen let out a shout at the sight.

Her fangs were sharp against her bottom lip as they pulled back and the veins around her temples and eyes were black with hunger. She was hunched in on herself, eyes bloodshot. 

"Holy shit," Coral breathed.

Treech stood resolutely still.

"Treech," Brandy said warily and he could hear her back up. "I don't think she's kidding."

Treech shook his head, not taking his eyes off Lamina. He wasn't going to show her he was afraid of her. She was never going to see him afraid of her again.

"Come on, Lams," he said quietly. "You're ok."

"Are you trying to get us killed?" Tanner hissed. Then he moaned to himself, "I can't believe Lamina's going to finally do me in. Goodbye cruel world."

Lamina's entire body was rigid as Treech pinned her with a stare. It was an odd feeling. To have been trained to fear and fight the thing in front of you and yet feel entirely safe and trustful of it.

There was nothing to be scared of after all. Lamina had proved herself to him. First when she hadn't ripped his throat out for staking her, then when she had fought her own brother for him, and even now, when she was so clearly in pain and begging him to leave her like that so that he could be safe.

It was his turn to prove himself to her. This was who she was. He had loved Lamina the human, he could love Lamina the Vampyre just as much.

"You're ok," he said again. "You can beat it."

Her nostrils flared as she bared her teeth at them again. Treech held his ground.

He'd done many stupid things in his life, but attempting to calm a starving Vampyre might just take the cake, and this was proved when Lamina took another snarling step toward him.

She got nowhere, however, as Coral had somehow managed to sneak up behind her while Treech had kept her occupied, using the silver stake he'd given her to stab through her shoulder.

Lamina screamed as Coral ripped it out, throwing it to the side, and while Lamina was busy with the pain of another stab wound, hit her upside the head with a rock.

Lamina crumpled to the ground at her feet, unconscious.

"The next time you try to play hero," Coral said, letting the rock fall out of her hands as she glared at a sheepish Treech. "I'm going to let her kill you, and then I'm going to help her bury the body."

"Noted," he said, embarrassed.

Tentatively, he made his way toward Lamina, squatting down next to her. He gingerly touched the side of her face, moving it to see if she was alright. He pressed two fingers against her neck and then mentally chastised himself. Vampyre, Treech. No heartbeat.

Well, at least he knew Coral could have hit her as hard as she wanted to with that rock and she'd be perfectly fine.

"I hate to interrupt this," Tanner started. "But we should probably go. Like, now. No way no one heard her scream."

He was right. Not only was there no way a party full of Vampyres hadn't heard Lamina scream, but also Elmer would have returned to the party by now appearing all disheveled, where someone was bound to ask questions.

Another stupid decision Treech made, was when he slipped his arms underneath Lamina's armpits and hauled her up and over his shoulder, one hand on the side of her waist and the other around her back.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Coral demanded, looking at him like she was three seconds away from bashing his head in with a rock.

"Bringing her with us," he said simply, beginning to walk back to his jeep.

"Great!" Tanner said sarcastically. "Bring the bloodthirsty Vampyre into a small car with us while her psycho brothers chase after us and her sheriff father calls SWAT on us when they realize we've kidnapped her! Truly, Harvard is begging for you to pack your bags for Boston."

Treech didn't bother to respond and he heard the grumblings of his friends as they followed him.

So, alright, maybe it was dumb to bring her with them, but all he knew was that he still wanted his questions answered, Lamina was hungry and hurt, and goddamnit he was going to help her.

"I hope she kills him," he heard Brandy say behind him. "I hope she wakes up and rips his head off and we'll all be able to get a good laugh in."

"Personally," Mizzen said, and Treech could hear the bounce in his step. "That might have been the coolest thing I've ever seen. We watched a Vampyre fight."

"Glad one of us enjoyed it," Coral muttered.

"I bet Lamina would be wicked good at Capture the Flag," Mizzen continued. "Coral, do you think she'd be willing to play with Bobbin and me on the weekends? We need another aggressive player on our team. Teslee's team has won three straight games in a row."

"Why don't you ask her, Miz?" Tanner suggested. "And then after that, you can ask how that stab wound from your sister feels!"

"Alright," Mizzen grumbled. "Bad timing, got it."

Treech had to feel for him as they pulled up to where his jeep was parked, doors still open from their hurried escape. He passed Lamina off to Brandy, who let the other girl's head fall into the crook of her neck as she held her unconscious body in the seat behind him. He shifted the car out of Park and into gear, racing past Lamina's mansion, staring resolutely ahead.

It seemed as though he and Mizzen both had a thing for bad timing, he thought, glancing into the rearview at Lamina's unconscious form, as he realized then and there that there was nothing he wouldn't do for her.

"You do the dishes for three months," Elowen said, arms folded as she stared down at him from the entryway stairs.

"Three months?" Treech gawked.

His little sister gave him a look, nodding her head at the scene behind him. "You have a Vampyre tied up in our side garage, along with four normies, and you stole equipment from Mom and Dad earlier. You're lucky it's not six months."

"Elowen," he groaned. "I just need you to distract them for the night. One night."

"Yeah," she said, blowing a bubble with her Juicy Fruit gum. "One night of distracting two ex-Defensors from the fact that their teenage son is holding a Vampyre hostage in their side garage. Three months."

Inhaling deeply to stave off the urge to strangle his fourteen year old sister he said, "Fine. But if they find out I swear to God, Winnie, I'm burying that signed Olivia Rodrigo CD and you'll never find it."

She glared at him and then looked over at Lamina, who had woken up as they pulled into his driveway and was still looking dazed. "Personally," his sister said. "I would break up with my boyfriend if he tied my wrists to a post in his garage."

Then she stalked up the stairs, slamming the door shut and locking it.

"Brat," Treech muttered, turning back around to his friends.

Lamina had been tied to a side post on the side of his garage at Coral's demand, and though she had fought back some, Treech could see in her eyes that she was faint with hunger and still reeling from the stab and the hit over the head.

He winced. Boy, was he going to get an earful when she was feeling better.

Brandy sat across from her, arms hanging over her bent knees, back against the leg of a pong table. Tanner was sitting on a windowsill, one leg bent up, the other dangling down as he fiddled with some trinket he'd found. Coral stood a little ways behind Brandy, arms crossed over her chest, staring intensely down at Lamina. Mizzen was wandering around, picking up trophies of his parent's kills and testing out weapons he definitely shouldn't be.

"Would someone get me a bandage?" Lamina asked blandly, nodding at the wound in her shoulder. "I'd rather not lose the little blood I have left because Coral staked me."

"You were going to attack Treech," Coral said easily.

Treech pulled a first aid from one of the shelves, bending down in front of her. "May I?" he asked before touching her.

She gave him a sarcastic grin. "Well, seeing as I'm a bit tied up right now and can't do it myself..."

Treech withheld a cringe. "It's for your own safety," he told her as he began to clean the injury.

It was gnarly, skin burnt and torn at the entry wound, and he tried adamantly to ignore the images of what the one on her chest must have looked like as he tore off a piece of gauze, wrapping it over her shoulder and underneath her arm.

Lamina let out a bitter laugh. "Right," she said. "I'm sure it's safer for me to be tied up when you kill me so that the silver only goes in my chest and not my arms when I try to defend myself."

Treech pulled back, sitting on his heels, frowning. "Why would you think I'm going to kill you?"

"Other than the fact that you already tried last night and I'm tied up in your garage?" she asked.

Alright. Fair point.

"If you try to attack us again we'll be forced to hurt you again," he said, shifting so that he was sitting normally diagonally to her. "That's why you're tied up."

Lamina looked away, clearly very upset. Treech couldn't blame her. He could only imagine how afraid she was, at the mercy of her best friends, one who had taken an oath to kill people like her, her body weak with hunger.

Which led to his first question.

"Why are you starving?" he asked.

"Because I haven't eaten," she shot back stubbornly.

Treech almost rolled his eyes. After everything she'd gone through the past two nights and she was actively choosing to be difficult. He thought back to the double stab wound and the fight with her brother. Yeah, you know what? He couldn't fault her on that one. 

"You know what I mean," he said calmly.

Huffing, Lamina said, "I haven't made my first kill yet. My body's beginning to give out."

"First kill?" Coral repeated.

"Dhampyrs make their first kill around sixteen," Lamina explained begrudgingly. "I refused to, so I've been surviving off of the synthetic blood pills they feed little kids. Obviously, they aren't doing the job anymore."

"Why did you refuse?" Mizzen wondered and it seemed the prospect of talking to a Vampyre was more intriguing than whatever he could find in the garage.

"Because I don't want to kill," Lamina said quietly.

Treech thought back to her and Elmer's fight, how he'd been so adamant she killed and she so determined to prove she wasn't their mother. What was the deal with their mom?

Clearly Coral was thinking the same thing when she asked, "What happened to your mom? Why is Elmer so afraid of you being like her?"

Lamina's entire body tensed at the question and she tugged against her restraints. One small blessing of Lamina's starvation was that she was entirely too weak to break out of the pathetic rope that bound her wrists.

"Am I being interrogated before I die?" she spat. "Is that it?"

"You aren't going to die," Treech said, tone edging on frustration. Then he paused, taking in the dark circles underneath her eyes. Maybe he should amend his statement to he wasn't going to be the one to kill her, because right now, she wasn't looking too good.

"We just want answers," Brandy said quietly, speaking for the first time since they'd driven away in his jeep.

Treech watched as she and Lamina locked eyes and it was only the betrayal on Brandy's face that seemed to soften her brutality.

Looking away Lamina said, "My mom was killed by Sicarii. Elmer was with her, and he blames her death on the fact that she hadn't fed in a long time before they were attacked."

Tanner let out a whistle. "That's tough."

Lamina glared at him. "I appreciate the sympathy."

Tanner shrugged, unbothered.

Another small blessing, Treech thought, was that he and Lamina hadn't lived in the same city before moving out here, so at the very least it couldn't have been his parents who had killed her mom.

"I'm sorry," he told her, and it felt awfully weird to be sad over a Vampyres death.

Lamina wouldn't meet his eyes. "I was young," she said in replace of an acceptance. "I don't remember much about before we moved here."

"Is that why you moved?" Coral asked.

Lamina nodded. "My dad said we needed a fresh start." Then she shot Treech a look. "Also our home had been compromised. Word spread quickly that the Woodrows were Vampyres."

"No one else knows," Treech said quickly. "Just us."

Lamina scoffed. "Because that makes me feel better."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Brandy demanded, and Treech could hear the desperation in her voice.

There was a beat and then Lamina sighed, the last tenseness of her body softening. "What was I supposed to say, Brands?" she whispered. "I mean, how was I supposed to tell you?"

"Any way!" Brandy exclaimed. "We've been friends since we were five and twelve years later I finally find out why you've never stayed for supper?"

"Brandy," Treech said wearily.

"I don't want to hear it from you!" Brandy snapped, whirling on Treech. "You both have lied to us since the beginning and it's bullshit!"

Treech's face distorted in anger. "You don't always get to know everything, Brandy," he defended. "Sometimes things have to be kept secret for everyone's safety."

Brandy rolled her eyes. "Oh right?" she spat sarcastically. "Because you both were so safe last night when you nearly killed Lamina when you found out."

"God, Brandy, maybe you shouldn't keep bringing up things you know nothing about," Treech scoffed in exasperation.

"And why is it that I know nothing about it?" Brandy demanded. "Oh, that's right! Because neither of you ever bothered to fucking mention the fact that you're an oath-taken Defensor, and you're a Vampyre."

"For fuck's sake, Brandy," Lamina started in frustration and Treech's head snapped to her. Very rarely did she curse, and even rarer did she and Brandy fight. "You're being impossible. Do you even hear what you're saying right now? You're mad I didn't tell you what I am when not only could telling you have gotten me killed, but it also would have gotten the rest of my family killed!"

Brandy pulled back, eyebrows turned down in anger. "You really think I would have said something?" she demanded.

"I don't know!" Lamina exclaimed. "But fucking look at me!" She pulled roughly on her binds. "Even my own friends have me tied like some kind of monster the minute they find out!" Her brows furrowed in despair. "What did you expect of me?" Lamina continued desperately, her entire body shaking. "At five years old, right after my mom got killed for existing, to go around telling everyone hey! I need blood to survive and can't ever be fucking normal, what time are we going to the park?"

"I expect you to trust me!" Brandy fumed and her eyes glistened.

"I do," Lamina cried. "But I just— why can't you understand—"

She fell into a fit of coughing, cutting herself off. Lamina let out a sob, her head banging back into the wooden pole.

"I can't do this with you right now, Brandy," she said weakly, eyes squeezed shut.

Brandy stared at her for a moment more, before scoffing, picking herself up off the floor and storming out the back door of the garage.

Treech and Coral shared a look before Coral followed her silently.

There was silence and then Lamina let out a small, desperately sad laugh. "I don't even have enough blood left to cry."

Treech watched her open her eyes and started at the sight. They were intensely bloodshot and dry, and Treech remembered that Vampyres don't have normal tears, but instead cry thick red blood. If Lamina didn't even have enough to spare for tears...

He took her in; the black veins beneath her skin that were stark against the ghastly paleness of her body, dark circles beneath her eyes, gaunt cheekbones, and shaking hands. The weakness in her eyes and voice.

She was dying.

Treech made his decision with no extra thought. Silently, he slipped a steel knife out from the inside of his sleeve, one that wouldn't hurt her. He leaned forward, his cheek brushing hers as he reached around and cut the ropes that bound her hands.

Lamina looked at him warily, shaking out her wrists. "What are you doing?"

He didn't answer, instead rolling up the left sleeve of his Henly and holding his wrist flipped up in front of her.

She looked at him and then down to his wrist and he watched her eyes widen in realization.

"No," she said firmly, shaking her head.

"Lamina—"

"No, Treech," Lamina insisted, her bloodshot eyes wide with horror as she stared at him. "Not happening."

"Does it have to be a kill?" he asked stubbornly.

Her brow furrowed. "A— what?"

Treech tried not to huff in frustration. "The first time," he clarified. "Does it have to be a kill?"

Lamina stared at him, shaking her head slowly. "No."

He nodded and shook his wrist slightly. "Go on then."

"Are you crazy?" she demanded. "Not only is this extremely cliche, but it's also ridiculously dangerous."

Treech rolled his eyes. "You said it doesn't have to be a kill, so what's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that it will be!" she exclaimed, voice raspy. "It— I don't—" She groaned in exasperation. "We call it a first kill because Dhampyrs don't have the self-control to stop the first time they—" She swallowed thickly, eyes trained on his wrist. "The first time we taste human blood."

Treech gave her a look. "Lamina, you've held out for almost two years. If that doesn't say self-control I don't know what does."

She stared at him incredulously. "It's like you want to die," she said breathlessly. "You're insane! If we're going off the two years of waiting, don't you think I'd have even less control than the others?"

He paused. That was a valid argument. He shook his head. He wasn't going to let Lamina die in front of him just because she was afraid of hurting him.

"It's me or Tanner, Lams," he said, ignoring her previous statement.

That stopped the panic in her eyes and they slowly slid over to where Tanner was still on the windowsill, looking equally disgusted and horrified.

Lamina's nose scrunched up. "I'll starve," she said blankly.

Tanner, who had been mostly silent, looked slightly offended. "For the record, I would want to die if you bit me. I probably would from the rabies."

Lamina snarled at him and Treech shot him a warning look. He held up his hands in surrender.

"I'm always here too," Mizzen perked up from behind a shelf full of Gargoyle teeth.

"No," Treech and Lamina said at the same time.

"Alright," the boy muttered. "Rude."

"Coral stabbed me for taking a step toward Treech," Lamina said. "She'd kill me if I even looked at you."

"Problem solved then," Treech told her brightly, pushing his wrist beneath her nose and Lamina pressed herself back into the wood, as far away as possible.

"No," she said thickly, unable to look away from his wrist.

Treech huffed. "Lamina—"

"No!" she burst out, eyes flicking up to his. "No, Treech! I could kill you!"

They held each other's gaze and then slowly Treech asked, "Is that what you're so afraid of?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed in exasperation.

Treech nodded, accepting it, before quick as a flash, took her palm in his hand, slit it with his knife, and held the cut to his mouth.

Tanner shouted in alarm and Lamina ripped her hand away quickly, holding it to her chest, mouth open in horror, but it was too late. Treech licked his lips, swallowing the barely there coppery taste of her blood, and gave her a small, cheeky smile, his lips stained red.

"You're crazy," Lamina insisted. "You're actually downright, batshit, fucking crazy if you think I'm going to drink from you after you just did that."

"What?" Tanner demanded anxiously, standing up. "What did he just do?"

Lamina didn't look away from Treech as she answered, "It's how we Turn people."

"What?" Tanner squawked.

Lamina swallowed thickly. "Turned are created only by dying with Vampyre blood in their system." Her eyes narrowed into a glare. "This is your failsafe, isn't it? You think now I'm not going to be afraid?"

Treech took her cut hand from her chest and held it tightly in his, resting their twined hands on his knee. "You're afraid of killing me, so you're starving yourself. Now, if you do lose control, that won't happen."

Lamina shook her head stubbornly. "You'll still be dead, Treech. Vampyres aren't alive. I don't want that for you."

"And I'm not going to sit here and watch you starve when I can help," he protested. "I won't."

"It's my choice, Treech!" she insisted.

"It's not a choice if you're making it out of fear!" he pressed. "You're afraid of yourself and you're punishing yourself for it."

Lamina looked away, brows pulled down.

Treech moved himself so that he was still in front of her. "Lamina, if you can't trust yourself, then trust me," he begged, squeezing her hand. "I trust you, Lams."

She shook her head. "You don't know what you're trusting me with," she whispered. "You don't know me."

"Don't I?" he asked. "I know that you hate horror movies, and that I like you best in green, and that you're the most selfless person I've ever met." He brushed a tendril of fallen hair behind her ear. "Lamina the human and Lamina the Vampyre can coexist, and I love them both."

Her eyes darted up to meet his and through the haze of malnourishment he could see the fear, and also the surprise.

"It's dangerous," she said quietly, though he could hear the resolve in her voice cracking.

He gave her a crooked grin. "Seems as though most things in our lives are."

Lamina let out a small laugh, staring at him in wonderment before swallowing thickly. "I want you to have a stake in your hands," she said. "A silver one. And if I go too far, I want you to use it."

Holding her gaze he said, "Ok."

She didn't need to know he wouldn't ever be able to.

Lamina glanced back at Tanner and Mizzen. "And I want you both to have one too, and don't look away."

"They're next to the bottled Basilisk venom, Miz," Treech said, not looking away from the Vampyre in front of him.

Without a word, Mizzen moved to pull out three silver stakes, passing one to Tanner and then reaching over Treech's shoulder to place another in his free hand. He moved back, taking his place next to Tanner, who was gripping the stake tightly, a slight grimace on his face from the silver of it.

"Are you sure about this, man?" Tanner asked nervously.

Treech nodded firmly, letting go of Lamina's hand and holding his wrist up for her. "Positive."

Lamina's eyes tracked the movement, though she made no move to take his wrist in her hands.

"I trust you," Treech said again. "You can do this."

Gingerly, she took his wrist in her hand, rough fingers against the back of it. Her lips parted. Unable to look away she said, "I mean it, Treech. If it gets to that point, kill me before I kill you."

He only smiled and let the stake fall into his lap so that he could run a hand over her hair.

Either she didn't notice that he had dropped the stake, or the hunger was too strong to care, because not even a second later did her fangs slide into the skin of his wrist.

Treech clenched his jaw so as not to let out any sign or sound of pain. His entire body tensed as he could feel the blood being pulled from his veins, trying to get him to fight or kill or do any of the things he had been trained to do should he ever be in this position with a Vampyre.

He let his hand dig into the roots of her hair as her second hand came up to hold his wrist firmer to her mouth. He found that once he let himself relax, it honestly didn't even hurt. It felt a little odd because he could feel the sharp tips of her fangs literally inside his wrist, but he could also feel the heat of her mouth on his skin and the softness of her hair between his fingertips. He could feel his eyelids go half-lidded as he relished in the feeling of her. He wouldn't ever tell her this, but looking back he wouldn't have been able to use the stake even if he had wanted to. Lamina completely encompassed all his senses and he never wanted it to change. All he could smell, see, hear, feel, and even taste, with the copper of her blood still on his lips, was Lamina. And it was exhilarating.

He could hear faint voices in the background but he didn't care to try and figure out what they were saying, too entranced with Lamina.

Unfortunately, Lamina seemed to care and before Treech could stop her she was pulling away, eyes clear and mouth red.

Treech blinked, the rest of the world rushing back in. He flexed his wrist, stretching it back and forth.

Lamina used the back of her hand to wipe her mouth, eyes wide and nervous as she stared at him. Swallowing she asked, "Are you alright?"

Treech's brow furrowed, not having thought about it yet. He was tired, and there was a faint stinging in his wrist but he also felt like he'd just taken a shot. Woozy, giggly, and weightless. 

He grinned dazedly. "Feel great."

Her eyes searched his and then after a moment, she laughed, thumb swiping over the bitemark on his wrist, smearing blood. 

"Would someone grab me a rag, please?" she asked, glancing up at Tanner and Mizzen who both looked shell-shocked. 

Mizzen tossed her a rag, eyes wide. Lamina grabbed it deftly out of the air and used it to wipe her mouth fully, before flipping it around and using it to clean his wound. 

"What's his deal?" Tanner questioned, nodding toward Treech. 

Treech frowned. He didn't have a deal. He felt great. Like he could get up and fly away and spin in circles for hours.

Lamina smiled. "We have a venom that leaves the victim feeling drugged after," she explained, picking out an alcohol swab from the first aid Treech had set off to the side. "It should wear off in a few minutes."

She cleaned the wound quickly, wrapping a bandage around it securely before pressing a quick kiss over it. 

Treech smiled goofily. If this was how he got treated after, Lamina could take a bite any time she wanted.

"Oh god," Tanner said, groaning, throwing his head back and walking away. "They're going to be so much worse now."

Lamina laughed, taking the bandage Treech had wrapped around her shoulder off, and the stab wound was completely healed beneath it. Lamina looked entirely different, her skin smooth and shining, the black veins completely disappeared, and her eyes were bright with joy.

Treech wasn't exactly sure what Tanner meant about 'them going to be so much worse' but he was wondering if it would be rude to ask Mizzen and Tanner to leave so he could kiss Lamina the way he had the night before. 

Unfortunately, before he could open his mouth and beg them to leave, the back door slammed open, a red-haired man with glasses and a long trenchcoat looking frantic in the doorway. 

"Lamina?" he demanded, eyes panicked as he stared at her. 

Treech frowned. He could have at least knocked. 

"Acacius!" Lamina exclaimed, standing up and pulling Treech with her so hard that his body was lifted into the air for a moment. "Oh! I'm sorry, Treech!" Lamina looked down at her biceps. "Wow, that's a whole lot of strength!"

Brandy and Coral followed Acacius inside and Coral shut the door behind her. 

"We've got to get you out," Acacius said quickly, pushing past Treech and grabbing Lamina's arm, trying to tug her with him. 

"No, Acacius—" Lamina attempted to pull her arm out of his grasp as she struggled to stop him. "Acacius, stop— look—"

"What?" he huffed, spinning around as she finally freed herself. Lamina took a step back so he could look at her, grinning. 

Acacius's eyes narrowed and then widened. "Did you—"

"I did," Lamina said smugly, almost bouncing on her feet. 

"And you didn't—" 

"Nope," she answered, popping the 'p'.

Slowly, a grin spread over his face and he folded his arms over his chest. "Oh well, aren't you the strongest Dhampyre to ever live? Broke thousands of years of tradition and didn't even break a sweat."

Lamina put on an air of superiority, her nose in the air as she sniffed, "I know." Then she frowned. "But I'm going to kill Elmer."

Acacius sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose beneath his glasses. "You'll have to get in line. I'm pretty sure he and Dad are arguing over whether or not Dad can still ground him at twenty-two."

Lamina gasped. "The party! Oh, shit, Acacius—"

"Don't worry about it," he told her. "Dad and I covered for you, but I think the open blood-bar did most of the distracting." He grimaced. "Through Grandma's demanding a spa day with you."

Lamina groaned. "She always flirts with the pool boys and then asks me which one I think she should eat."

"Yeah, well she got on a plane at 2 AM from Romania last night to be here so... I think you owe her."

Lamina rolled her eyes. "She flies on her private jet. I think she's fine."

Acacius shrugged. "You try telling her that. I've already got a list of "nice, respectable, bloodsucking, European women" in my pocket she demanded I take." Acacius paused and he sniffed the air. Then he squeezed his eyes shut tight. "Please don't tell me you took a bite out of the Sicarii's son."

Lamina winced, sharing a quick glance with Treech who only shrugged. 

"It was consensual!" she defended. 

Acacius shook his head, opening his eyes and looking away, hand over his mouth. "You and Elmer are determined to put me into an early grave I swear," he muttered, voice muffled.

"Would an early grave for Vampyres be, like, in the next five hundred years?" Mizzen wondered out loud before turning slightly pink. "Sorry."

Acacius then glanced around. "They all know?" he asked Lamina.

She cringed. "Possibly."

Acacius took a moment longer to gape at them and then spun on his heel. "Dad's going to kill you!" he called as he walked out the door.

They all watched him go. 

Lamina grimaced. "I should probably go before my dad and Elmer get into a fight and we have to redo the floors again."

"Again?" Coral asked before immediately looking like she regretted it.

Lamina shook her head remorsefully. "He wasn't allowed to get a PS5 because of a D in Civics and when your dad's the Sherriff, he takes knowing the law very seriously. It was a rough evening." 

Her eyes shifted to Brandy, who seemed to have calmed down a bit, but was still looking hurt. 

Lamina swallowed, bringing her hands up to pick at her nails. "I, uh, I know there's still a lot we have to talk about," she said quietly. "And I need you all to know that I am sorry I had to lie. I just... I was afraid."

"Well," Brandy started, not making eye contact. "Seeing as the first thing the first person did when they found out was stake you... maybe you weren't entirely wrong about lying."

Treech threw his hands up. Brandy was never going to let that go, was she?

Lamina smiled crookedly. "I promise I'll answer any questions at another time just..." She trailed off, lips pressing into a firm line. "My brother and I need to have a talk."

She picked up her skirts and with a quick squeeze of Brandy's shoulder left through the door. 

Treech blinked. Hold on. She couldn't leave yet— she—

He raced out after her, ignoring Tanner's shout about him chasing after her in the dark was a trap and what she'd been waiting for. She had gotten farther than he expected and he cursed, remembering how fast Vampyres were, however, she whipped around practically the minute he stepped outside and stood still, waiting for him to reach her. 

"Treech, what—"

He didn't let her finish, pressing his hands on either side of her face and tugging her in to meet him, mouths crashing together entirely ungracefully. Lamina made a noise of surprise in the back of her throat before sinking into him, her arms wrapping around his waist. He allowed one of his hands to trail down her neck and to the open back of her dress, the small of her back cold beneath his hand. Lamina's hands dug into his sides and he deepened the kiss, fingers splayed against her cheek. After another long moment, Lamina pulled back, Treech following as she did so, and she laughed, using the tip of her finger to push his forehead back. 

"You're the king of mixed signals, you know?" she teased. "First you kiss me, then you stake me, kidnap me, let me drink your blood, and circle on back to kissing me."

Treech grinned, finally opening his eyes. "I'm dynamic." 

Lamina scoffed. "I hope you know the only reason I'm not chewing your ass out for trying to kill me is because you willingly put yourself in a position where I could have accidentally killed you." Her eyes softened. "Thank you by the way."

He pulled her close, kissing the crown of her head. "Any time." He smiled cheekily. "Should we work out a feeding schedule soon?"

Lamina's nose wrinkled in disgust and she pulled back. "You just ruined it."

Treech laughed. "My bad."

She tapped his side with the pads of her fingers. "I'll call you, yeah?"

Treech frowned playfully. "Oh is this what this is? I'm a booty call but for blood?"

Lamina laughed and pinched his side. "Stop it. You know that's not true." One of her hands raked through his hair. "I mean I'll call you after I handle everything at home, and then we'll talk."

He smiled softly. "Sounds good." And then because he couldn't resist, gave her a chaste kiss before allowing her to twist out of his grip. 

She laughed as she did so, hand on his chest. Then she spun back around, face hard, the front of his shirt fisted in her hand. 

"Treech, don't you ever try and play hero while I'm lost in hunger again, do you hear me?" she declared firmly, only a few inches in between them.

He grinned fondly. "Loud and clear."

She pinned him with a stare for a moment more before rolling her eyes and letting him go. 

"You're pathetic," she called over her shoulder.

"Only for you!"

Her laugh rang around them, stars bright above him, and he'd be lying if he didn't say the bite on his wrist wasn't a new badge of honor. 

"Let me get it!" Tilia cried, racing down the stairs, and shoving Treech into the wall. 

"It's rude to push people!" he shouted after her, taking the stairs two at a time. 

"It's rude to wait four months to introduce us to your Vampyre girlfriend," Elowen chastised behind him. 

"You met her already," he replied stubbornly, grabbing the back of Tilia's sweater and manhandling her behind him. She shouted in protest, hitting his legs. 

 "We met her when she was human," Elowen said, running into his back when he stopped abruptly in front of their door. 

Treech rolled his eyes, running a hand through his curls in the mirror they kept next to the door, trying to make them look a bit less unruly. "She was never human, Winnie."

"Righhtttt," Elowen drawled, arms crossed as she glared at him in the mirror. Then raising her voice so that their parents in the kitchen could hear she yelled, "Because Treech can have a Bloodborne Vampyre for his girlfriend but I get grounded for sneaking into an R-rated movie!"

"Dhampyre," Treech corrected sternly as Elowen rolled her eyes. "That's the term they use."

"Treech is old enough to make his own decisions," their mother said, walking around the corner. "You on the other hand got banned from the movie theater until you turn eighteen."

Their father joined her, a tight smile on his face. "Besides, we aren't Defensors anymore Wynn, he can do what he wants."

"Can we open the door already?" Tilia whined, and Treech pushed her back by the forehead. 

His father nodded at him and with only the slightest bit of nervousness Treech reached forward and grasped the doorknob in his hand, opening the door. The sun was just setting and the orange of the sky backlit the family waiting for them, all in matching sunglasses. 

Lamina was in front, hands folded demurely, a smile on her face. Her father stood behind her right shoulder, a glass container in his hand, the other on her shoulder. Her older brothers were next to the Sheriff, the red-haired one wearing a sensible smile, and the dark-haired one with a slightly disconcerting grin. 

"May we come in?" the Sheriff asked brightly. 

"Please!" Treech said, internally cringing at the sharpness of his voice, backing up and allowing the family in. 

"You remembered to take the wards down right?" his father asked out of the corner of his mouth behind him. 

"Yep," replied his mother, just as quietly. 

The Woodrows made it through the door with no trouble and Treech and his family watched as simultaneously, they removed their sunglasses. 

"Thank you for having us," the Sheriff greeted. He held out the glass pan and Treech gave Lamina a questioning look when he realized it was a casserole. "This is for you."

"Oh!" his mother exclaimed, taking the casserole with a vaguely concealed look of confusion, Tilia rising on her tiptoes to investigate. Treech pushed her down with a smile at the Vampyre family. "How sweet! I didn't know your kind knew how to, uh..."

The Sheriff grinned, canines sharp and white. "I learned how to cook for my wife." 

"Ah," his mother said, vaguely uncomfortable. 

"Is everyone ready for dinner, then?" asked his father, in an attempt to move past the awkward conversation. 

Elmer grinned wickedly. "Starving," he replied, following Treech's parents into the dining room, as Acacius smacked him on the head.

Lamina and Treech lagged behind.

"Are you sure it isn't weird that we'll all be eating and your family won't be?" he asked anxiously. 

"No," she affirmed. "Promise." Her brow furrowed. "My dad actually really likes sitting in on dinners, something about the mundanity being endearing." She shrugged. "I don't really know."

"Right," Treech said with a grimace, watching Tilia poke the back of Acacius's thigh in wonder. He turned to look at her, giving her a bemused smile. "Your brothers are alright being here?"

Lamina nodded. "Elmer was bitching about being too old, but Dad pulled the 'you still live under my roof' card on him. Now I think he's just going to enjoy making us all as uncomfortable as possible." She winced. "Be prepared for a lot of poorly timed jokes."

"Noted," Treech said, and then, with a quick glance forward to make sure no one was watching, pulled Lamina off to the side in an alcove and kissed her. 

She laughed, hands on his shoulders as she pulled away. 

He grinned cheekily. "Had to get some strength before a family dinner between ex-Defensors and four Dhampyres."

Lamina rolled her eyes. "You're cheesy."

"I've been told I taste very good, nothing like cheese, actually," he said thoughtfully and if Lamina could blush, he knew she would be. 

"Stop it," she scolded bashfully, pulling out of his grip and making her way to the dining room. 

He grinned as he followed her before his smile deflated entirely as he heard Tilia's first question. 

"Do Vampyres use the bathroom?"