It took all day and part of the night for Rafe to calm down. We spent the entire time running the perimeter of our land, just praying for a rogue or one of Bane's wolves to dare attack today. It didn't happen. We may have calmed down faster if it had.

Our thoughts alternated between her outrageous clothing, or lack thereof, the obvious danger of the vampire club that she refused to acknowledge and her ridiculous dance on the bar that was caught on video. What was worse was that the video was on YouTube so that everyone and their goddamn brother could see my mate the way only I should be seeing her! It was plenty to keep us all kinds of worked up for a while.

By the time that I returned to the house, it was after midnight. I had wanted to call Cecilia and talk about everything when I'd calmed down, but that would have to wait until morning now. I didn't want to wake her up. So, instead I went up to my room and decided to get some sleep. I'd go over to her house in the morning. It would be better to talk this out in person anyway.

We would hash this out. I would make sure she realized that vampires were dangerous and she was never to go to that club without me again. And NEVER in those clothes. With the assurance that everything could be fixed in the morning, I fell into a deep sleep.

In the morning, I woke early. I wanted to see Cecilia as soon as possible and fix this. I was out the door at nine am. I was going to straighten her out and then we were never going to fight again. I hated it. I was stuck between being mad at her and missing her.

I rang the doorbell of her house at only twenty after nine and waited patiently for Ceci to come downstairs and open the door. Instead, it was her mom who opened the door. She had a friendly smile on her face and looked pleased to see me.

"Good morning, Jackson," she greeted me, opening the door wider. "How have you been?"

"I've been well, Mrs. Moore," I assured her with a friendly smile to match her own. "How have you been?"

She laughed a little. "Just great. Did you and Ceci have plans today? She's not awake yet."

I shook my head. "I came over to surprise her."

"Oh, that's so sweet!" she gushed, grabbing my hand and pulling me inside. "They're all still sleeping up there. I don't know what they were doing all night, but I could still hear giggling at 4 am. They're probably worn out." She paused and then continued with a grin. "Why don't you go on and wake them up? They deserve it."

I laughed at her statement. I really like Cecilia's mom. She's a pretty cool lady. I wondered what Ceci and her friends were doing last night that had them up so late as I walked up the stairs. All male fantasies of pillow fights filled my mind, focusing on Ceci because she was the only one I cared about.

I froze in my tracks when I opened her bedroom door to a completely different scene to the one I had been picturing in my mind. Ceci was not with Taylor, Kayla and Lisa. Instead, she was curled up against a tan, blonde vampire that had fangs drawn on his chin and "I vant to suck yur blood" written in sharpie across his forehead. Her head was pillowed on his chest, and her arm was thrown over him. Xavier was upside down, cuddling with Ceci's legs like they were his lifeline.

My vision went red when Cecilia snuggled even closer to the blonde vampire's chest. I could only imagine what they had all been doing until four in the morning and Rafe and I were both ready to kill someone. Preferably the two vampires curled up in bed with my mate.

When Ceci snuggled a little closer, the blonde vampire's voice sounded sleepily, "Little sister, if you're drooling on me I'm going to kick your ass."

Little sister? I knew for a fact that Ceci didn't have a brother. I'd been her pet for a month as well as her boyfriend for a week and a half. I'd have known if she had a brother. What the hell was the vampire talking about?

"Shut up, Levi," Cecilia mumbled back at him, her eyes never opening. "I'm trying to sleep here."

I'd had enough of this. I wanted some answers for why my mate was curled up with two males that were not me. "Well, get up!" I snarled at them.

If I hadn't been so angry, Ceci's response might have been comical. She shot straight up in bed as if someone had pinched her and looked at me in shock. She kicked her legs vigorously, making Xavier sit up sleepily. The blonde stayed laid back and just blinked at me.

Xavier looked around sleepily, trying to figure out what was going on, but stopped, grinning, when he looked at the blonde. "What's up, Dracula?"

Even in the tense situation and the anger curling in my gut, I couldn't stop a slight smile, especially when Cecilia dropped her head into her hands in exasperation.

The blonde wasn't impressed. "Ha-ha, real funny, man. In case you forgot, you're a vampire too."

It was more than obvious that he had no idea what his face looked like. He must have fallen asleep before Ceci and Xavier last night. Or at least before one of them.

Ceci giggled and Rafe perked up in my mind. "Go look in the mirror, big brother," she told him.

There was that brother thing again. What was going on here? What was I missing?

The blonde stared at Ceci distrustfully for a moment and then stood slowly and went to the bathroom. I stayed in the doorway, waiting for his reaction. It didn't take long.

A cat like snarl came from the bathroom. "Do you want me to suck your blood, Cecilia Moore?"

I growled angrily, stepping fully into the room. I'd like to see that bloodsucker try to lay a finger on Ceci. I'd kill him.

Ceci didn't seem at all fazed by the vampire's words. In fact, she laughed. "I'd like to see you try, Levi Godfrey," she dared him. I wanted to shake some sense into her. She was human; A vampire could take her without a problem. "I have a wonderful werewolf boyfriend and vampire cousin to back me up."

I softened when she said boyfriend and she gave me an apologetic smile as the vampire returned from the bathroom. His glare was playful when he looked at Ceci. "I'll get you, little miss," he threatened. "When you least expect it."

I smiled at Cecilia's confidence as she only waved her hand dismissively, obviously not believing a word he said, and Xavier stood.

"I think we should give them some time alone," Xavier told the blonde vampire. "Let's go hunt since Ceci cramped our style last night."

Ceci gasped in outrage and threw a pillow from the bed at Xavier while Levi laughed. Xavier caught the pillow with ease and threw it back at her. "See you two later!"

He left the room and Levi moved slowly to follow him. He paused at my side with a glare. "You better not make her cry again, wolf boy," he snarled at me, before leaving the room and closing the door behind him with a slight slam.

I froze as his words penetrated. I had made her cry? I hadn't wanted to make her cry. Rafe and I were both angry, understandably so, but we didn't want to hurt her. She was ours to cherish and protect.

"I made you cry?" I asked her sadly.

She wouldn't meet my eyes and I knew the vampire had spoken the truth. "It hurt when you hung up on me," she admitted, her voice low and wounded. It cut me to the core.

Sighing and feeling terrible, I moved to stand closer to her. "I'm sorry for making you cry," I told her sincerely, hoping she'd forgive me for that, "but you have to understand why I was mad."

Ceci nodded slowly. "I do," she replied, looking up to meet my eyes. "But not for all the reasons you were. I can handle the vampires. They're not dangerous, I promise."

I scoffed angrily. Not dangerous my ass. They're uncontrollable immortal beings that survive on blood. She glared at me and I decided to just shut up. I didn't want to fight with her anymore. I'd have to convince her later that she was wrong and just keep her close in the meantime.

"The bar dance, however," she continued. "I completely understand why that pissed you and Rafe off. I'm sorry. That wasn't supposed to happen. I was having fun with Xavier and Levi and their friends and I wasn't paying attention to how much I was drinking. Xavier and Levi pulled me down and took me home."

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck and looking up at the ceiling. I didn't mention that I knew that because of the video. Instead, I focused on the conversation. I could tell that she was really good friends with Xavier and the blonde, Levi. And Xavier had kept her safe at the club.

"I guess I should try trusting you around vampires," I gave in, "but only if Xavier is with you." I wasn't crazy, I knew that she couldn't protect herself from them, but I also knew that nothing I could say right now was going to stop her from hanging out with them.

She rolled her eyes at my stipulation and I stiffened until she agreed with me. I was happy that she was trying and meeting me halfway. I only wanted her safe. I did clarify something, though, not wanting her to get the wrong idea. "Don't take this to mean that I'm in any way okay with vampires. I still hate them, but you're so damn stubborn sometimes!"

She grinned cheekily up at me. "I'll take it."

I couldn't help but smile back at her adorable face and I sat down on the bed beside her. There was something else I wanted to know about though, and that was her friend, "Dracula". I breathed a little easier when she explained that he was a friend of Xavier's that just felt like an older brother.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly as I processed the conversation. "I hate it that you have two vampires as friends. I really hate it."

She crossed her arms over her chest and I recognized her stubborn face. I knew I wasn't going to like her response before she even said it. "Well, get used to it because they're staying."

I wanted to growl as I dropped my head in my hands, but I held back. It was so beyond dangerous for her to have vampire friends, but she would resent me if I tried to force her to give them up. Especially since one of them was her cousin. Could I trust them with her? To keep her safe when I wasn't there? There was only one answer: I had to. She wasn't going to let them go.

Sitting up, I told her, "Fine, but promise me that you'll be careful. As much as you disagree, vampires are dangerous."

Her perky smile made me think that I was finally going to get her to agree with me. I couldn't have been more wrong.

"You're right, I don't agree!"

I groaned, ready to give up. But first, I demanded one more thing that I wouldn't take any answer but agreement for. "No more dancing on bars."

She laughed at me, moving to sit in my lap and winding her arms around my neck as Rafe rumbled happily at finally having his mate back in his arms. "Now that I can agree to," she told me before smacking one hell of a kiss on me.

I wrapped my arms around her tightly, kissing her back and never wanting to let her go. We were never fighting again.

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