They both glanced up overhead as if to make sure the house was still standing. Fang sniffed, smelling the smoke, and I saw comprehension cross his face.

“It’s out, right?” he said. I just looked at him.

“Is everyone okay?” Dylan asked stiffly.

“I’m sure you had some super important and crucial reason for being out here,” I said, my words like icy spikes, “when the living room was going up in flames over your heads.”

“Everything seems under control, Max.” Fang shoved his hands into his pockets as he redirected his eyes toward me.

“We were talking about you,” Dylan — who hadn’t yet learned that honesty isn’t always the best policy — blurted out.

Fang’s gaze sent daggers at him.

I was now ready to crack these two numbskulls’ heads together. “Dylan, Flock Rule Number One: The safety of the kids is always most important. Period.”

“I understand,” Dylan insisted. “But Max, I have to tell you that —”

“And Flock Rule Number Two is, Don’t argue with Max or you’ll live to regret it.” I spun and stomped out to the clearing, turning back for one last jab at Dylan. “And by the way, you clearly don’t know me better than Fang does. Do you see Fang arguing with me? No, you do not.”

Fang rolled his eyes. I jumped up and landed back on the deck.

Advanced life-forms, my sweet patootie. Jerks. Both of them.

Chapter 39

39

IT TOOK THE FLOCK about two seconds to correctly read the insane glint of rage in my eye, and they all scuttled out for cleaning supplies while I sloshed around the living room, cataloging damage.

“Max.”

I swung my head to see Jeb standing against a wall. Soot was smeared on his face, and his eyes were bloodshot. “Good job taking off like that,” Jeb said tersely. “You can’t just leave them on their own. And you can’t just run away from problems every time you get upset.”

“Go jump!” I yelled at him. “How dare you judge me! You’re the one who left us all on our own, when we were much younger than this! You butthead!”

“Let bygones be bygones, Max. I know we’ve had our differences, but we should put them behind us — for the good of the flock.” He gestured to the disaster before us. “This clearly isn’t working. You need help. I think I should come back and live here. I should take up where I left off.”

“Forget it!” I told him in my best voice of authority. “There is no freaking way you will ever live in this house like one of us. I wouldn’t trust you if you were the last life raft leaving the Titanic!”