That had been a source of contention since I had insisted on keeping my last name Bonham instead of changing it to Townsend, like the rest of them. Nobody had actually cared except for Jack, but he didn’t understand why I wouldn’t want his last name, especially since that was Milo’s last name too.
Someday, I’m sure it would change, but for now, I wanted to hang onto every part of myself that I could, even if it was just my name.
On the plus side, Ezra changed my age to eighteen, so it’d be easier for me to do things if I wasn’t a minor. They did the same thing with Milo, even though he was only sixteen, but he looked closer to nineteen.
All of Ezra’s information said that he was twenty-nine, even though he had actually been twenty-six when he turned, but it was that way with all of them. Jack was really twenty-four, but his license said he was twenty-seven, and Mae’s said that she was thirty-one, even though she was three years younger than that when she turned.
They’d lived this life, this name in this house, for four years already. They wouldn’t be able to pull off their ages for much longer, though, which meant that they were going to have to move very soon. As it was, Jack didn’t really pass for twenty-seven, and he would never make it as thirty.
“When was the last time you ate?” Ezra asked me but didn’t look up from my passport. It was brand new, and he inspected it for any mistakes. As soon as I’d turned, Ezra had gotten me all the paperwork I might need, including a driver’s license, birth certificate, and passport.
“Um, yesterday,” I said.
There was a constant thirst with me, but it wasn’t the same as being thirsty when I was human. My mouth wasn’t parched, and my stomach didn’t feel empty like I was hungry, either. I just felt this need inside me, coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once.
The closest feeling I could recall is when I ran too fast in gym, and my muscles would start to ache from the oxygen depilation. It would be this slow, swelling cramp that permeated through me. Except now the relief came from blood, accompanied by frantic lust.
I managed to have reasonable control over my bloodlust. Both Milo and I had a stronger grasp of that than most vampires, something that bewildered Ezra and Mae. Our relationship to vampires constantly surprised them, and Ezra thought there was something deeper going on than merely my bond with Peter and Jack.
“Hmm.” Ezra eyed me over. “I don’t want you to get tired just yet. We’ll have to wait until you’re on the flight. Do you think you can handle being around people that much on an empty stomach?”
“I think so,” I nodded, but I wasn’t as certain as I tried to sound.
Since I was so newly turned, blood had a very strong effect on me. Eating felt amazing, but after, I’d be very drowsy and out of it. Usually, I’d just pass out and sleep it off for awhile. Eventually, drinking blood should give me more energy instead of knocking me out, but that was awhile off yet.
On top of that, I had very little experience being around people. I found myself attracted to Jack’s blood, and his pulse is significantly weaker than humans. Their blood smelled stronger, pounded harder, and would be far more enticing. I had shown a lot of self-control so far, but in all honesty, I’d had very little temptation.
“Good.” Ezra nodded once, then looked at Mae. “Is everything packed then?”
“Yes.” She bit her lip when she met his gaze, and she didn’t want him to go anymore than Jack wanted me to.
“Well, then.” He smiled wanly at me. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah,” I nodded again.
He put all the papers in the front pocket of his suitcase and grabbed his bags. Up until that point, I think Milo expected Ezra to tell me that I had to stay behind, but when he saw that we were really serious, he balked loudly.
“You can’t really be going!” Milo flared with agitation, and Mae put her hand on his back, rubbing it to ease him down before he went berserk. “This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard! You’re going to get her killed!”
“Milo, that’s enough,” Mae said.
“But… but…” Milo stammered and turned to her for help. “You know this is stupid!”
“Milo.” Ezra cut him off decisively, and Milo’s face crumpled. “Just say goodbye to your sister before we go.”
He cried when he hugged me, which didn’t make things easier. He didn’t want me to go, and he didn’t want to be left behind, but there was very little in the way of options. The one time that he had actually met Peter, it hadn’t gone over well, so he wouldn’t be able to do anything to help the cause of rescuing Peter.
Mae kissed Ezra with tears in her eyes, and once again asked him if there was anything that could get him to stay. He didn’t say anything, but that was as she had expected. Sniffling, she hugged me and made me promise to be safe, to always run at the first sign of trouble, and to call her constantly, whether anything was wrong or not.
When we left, she had her arm wrapped around Milo, and they stood in the entryway, looking terribly forlorn. Jack hadn’t said anything as we left, and he continued his silence on the car ride to the airport. He took Ezra’s Lexus, and Ezra seemed lost in his own thoughts, trying to figure something out.
The Minneapolis airport was a bustle of human activity. The cold October air felt good on my skin as we walked from the parking lot to the airport, but everything was already filled with the warm, tantalizing scent of blood.