Cold As Ice

Chapter 10

Allie could barely contain herself enough to unlock her door. Her body was positively alight with energy. She felt feathery light, her heart skipping every other beat as she tried to step into her apartment without waking her neighbors. It was early in the morning, and although she was loath to leave Carlisle behind, he'd promised her it wouldn't be a long absence. Part of Allie doubted that he'd actually leave her alone at this point, especially given his concern about the two vampires that had attacked her the day before last. But he'd agreed that, for the sake of normalcy and keeping up appearances, it was important that she go home, at least for today. They'd figure the rest out later.

She fumbled down the entry hall of her apartment, humming a vague tune from an old Rat Pack-era love song she'd had stuck in her head ever since listening to Carlisle's vinyl collection after dinner last night. Normally she would have been exhausted coming back after so little sleep, but she hadn't felt this giddy in a long time, if ever. Once she'd learned that vampires didn't sleep, she'd renewed her barrage of questions. Carlisle had kindly answered each of them, even the far fetched ones. Allie was slightly disappointed to learn that, to the best of Carlisle's knowledge, unicorns were not real. She was comforted, however, to know that garlic did not have the effect on real vampires that it did in all the novels she'd read. Carlisle had indulged her with recountings of a few historical events (his memory for the American Civil War was of particular interest to Allie, as she'd minored in American history in undergrad and had done her thesis on the Battle of Antietam). By the time he had practically forced her to try and rest, dawn had been threatening to spill over the horizon. Despite being comfortably snuggled on Carlisle's embarrassingly large bed, Allie had slept only fitfully. She knew eventually she'd crash, but for the time being, every cell in her body pulsed with energy.

It wasn't until she was halfway through her apartment that she noticed Ingrid and Paul sitting on her couch.

"What the hell took you so long?" Ingrid's voice was laced with contempt and her expression was dark. Paul had a similarly rageful look on his face.

"Oh shit, Ingrid, you nearly scared me to death!" Allie exclaimed, nearly knocking over her kitchenette table. She was getting really tired of people - and vampires - startling her.

"You spent the night at the Cullens?" Ingrid practically spat out the question as she rose from the couch and rounded on Allie.

"Yes, I did," Allie replied weakly, feeling intimidated by her cousin's cold welcome. She'd expected a more heartfelt reunion, but she felt like she'd stepped in front of a firing squad.

Paul shifted tensely on the couch, his lips pursed into a thin line. "She's got their stink all over her," he commented sourly.

Allie bristled at Paul's words, her emotions beginning to catch up with the scene. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Paul?" she asked, her voice barely less than a yell.

Ingrid stepped between Paul and Allie, her eyes simmering like coals.

"What did he do to you?" Ingrid asked accusatorially, her eyes narrowing as she gave Allie a once over like she was inspecting a tree for signs of rot.

"He didn't do anything to me," Allie shot back, stepping back from her cousin and putting the kitchen island between them. Allie didn't like the implications of Ingrid's question, nor did she care for the harsh welcome in her own house. She drew in a breath to say just that, but before she could Paul stood up and started talking.

"You're a god damn fool, Albrun! You have no idea what the Cullens are, and if you did, you wouldn't have walked in here with that shit eating grin on your face!" He was advancing on her, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Even though Allie knew Paul wouldn't physically hurt her, he was an imposing figure and she'd never seen him angry before. She took an involuntary step backward, suddenly feeling very small and vulnerable. She found her mind racing for an escape when Ingrid swatted out with her hand across the island, her fingers closing around Allie's wrists in a stranglehold.