“Her name is Jane!” I snapped, trying futilely to rouse her. She was completely out, and I knew how impossible blood loss was to wake up from.

“I know her name!” the vampire shouted. “I want to know what you want with her!”

“What do you care?” Jack countered, doing his best to sound tough. It would be comical if he wasn’t trying to hold back a vampire from slaughtering us.

“Jonathan,” Jane murmured, still mostly asleep.

“No, it’s me, Alice,” I said. She moved her head, and I turned it towards me, trying to get her to focus on me. “Jane, wake up. We need to get you out of here.”

“She’s talking about me, you silly twat! I’m Jonathan!” The vampire pushed against Jack. “Will you let me go? I’m not gonna fight you! I don’t have to. She’s not gonna go with you.”

Jack lessened his grip, and when Jonathan didn’t attack him, Jack took a step back from him. Milo did the same but more hesitantly. Jonathan smoothed out his shirt and glared at them.

“Jane, honey, wake up,” I said and shook her.

“No, Jonathan, let me sleep.” Jane swatted at me.

“She’s not going with you,” Jonathan repeated. He stepped closer to me, and Milo growled and moved in between him and the bed. “I’m not gonna stop you. What do I care if you take the whore?”

“I think it might be better if you just shut the hell up,” Jack said.

“Jane, come on.” I grabbed her shoulders and pulled her so she was sitting up. Her head lolled back, revealing the open wounds on her neck. Then she opened her eyes and lifted her head. “Jane, come on. Let’s go.”

“Alice?” Jane squinted. “What are you doing here?”

“Taking you with me.” I put my arm around her to pick her up, but she pushed back at me. She was much weaker than me, but I didn’t want to force her. “Jane, you’ve gotta come with me.”

“No! No! Why would I wanna I go with you?” Jane pushed away from me so she could lie down on the filthy mattress. “Get away from me. I’m staying with Jonathan.”

“I told you,” Jonathan said and crossed his arms over his chest.

His hair was cropped short, almost shaved, and he had that perpetual unshaven look. He was undeniably foxy, the way all vampires seemed to be, and I was fairly certain that I had seen him on a billboard modeling men’s underwear before.

“What are you even doing here?” Jane sounded incredibly irritated, because I was ruining her buzz. She was awake now but not entirely alert, and she ran her fingers through her hair in an offhandedly sexy way. Her reflexes were even seductive.

“We came to get you. We’re worried about you,” I told her as sincerely as possible. I put my hand on her arm, but she pulled it back from me.

“We?” Jane squinted harder in the darkness, trying to see who I brought with me, and pushed herself to sit up. Her skeletal arms were stretched out behind her, holding her up precariously so she didn’t fall back on the bed.

“That was your little brother I saw grinding up on some boy on the dance floor! I thought that was him, but I didn’t believe you were letting him date yet.” She gave a laugh, and Milo scowled at her. “That’s just like him to narc on me anyway. I bet you just ran home to tell her right away, didn’t you?”

“This isn’t the kind of life you want to have,” Milo said, his cheeks reddening.

“Tell that to your boyfriend,” Jane laughed again, but it was a tired, hollow sound.

“Jane, come on. This is enough. Let’s get you home.” I got up off the bed and reached out for her, planning to throw her over my shoulder if I had to.

“No! I’m not going with you!” Jane yelled. “You’ve barely even talked to me since you got Jack, and you have the balls to condemn me for doing the exact same thing as you?”

“I never did this!” I shouted. “And I was avoiding you to protect you, and then you avoided me. I called you like a million times but you wouldn’t answer!”

“Doesn’t that tell you something?” Jane smiled darkly at me. “I don’t want to be your friend anymore, Alice! You don’t need to save me from myself! I am just fine without you!”

“You are not fine! And I’m not saving you from you! I’m saving you from vampires!” I knew that sounded really dumb since I planned on bringing her back to a house full of vampires, and Jane laughed at the stupidity of my argument.

I bent down and scooped her up. She yelped in protest, but I tossed her easily over my shoulder. I was much stronger than before, but it was almost too easy. As soon as I had her, she hit at my back and screamed at me.

“Put me down, you stupid bitch!” Jane shouted, pounding her tiny fists as hard as she could against my back. Of course, it didn’t hurt at all, but that didn’t stop her from trying.

“She doesn’t want to go with you!” Jonathan made a step towards me.

Jack and Milo moved closer to him. Jonathan held his hands up in a gesture of peace, but his face contorted with contained rage. If I tried taking away food from a starving wolf, I imagine that he would make a similar expression.

“What’s going on?” Bobby asked, terrified.

“Everything’s fine,” Milo told him unconvincingly.

“You can’t kidnap her,” Jonathan said.

I hadn’t moved towards the door yet because I hoped Jane would calm down, but he was right. I couldn’t take her kicking and screaming onto the city streets.

“Just put me down!” Jane shouted. Sighing, I set her on her feet next to me. She slapped me once more for good measure, and I had to remind myself that she was my best friend. “You are such a control freak, Alice! Just because you’re a prude doesn’t mean I’m wrong!”

“I don’t want any trouble but she is mine,” Jonathan exchanged a look with Jack, and Jane puffed up.

Jane misinterpreted his use of the word “mine.” She saw it as something resembling love, like he cared so she belonged to him. All he really meant was that he had bitten her first, so he laid claim on her until he gave her up.

She reached out in the darkness, feeling around for Jonathan to protect her. Milo moved, allowing Jonathan to walk to her. He put his arm around her in something that she perceived as affection, but it was nothing more than ownership.