on the booth. He couldn't help noticing that they had that same lynch‐mob look they'd
had in the restaurant that first night when he rushed up, stake in hand, threatening
Elvi. If Lucian noticed it, he didn't look concerned, though he did shift himself closer to
Leigh in a protective manner.
Finally, he turned his attention to Elvi and asked, "Elvi Black?"
"No… well, yes, but no," she said quickly, and explained, "My name is really Ellen
Stone, but everyone calls me Elvi Black. Black is my maiden name, you see, and Elvi is…
well, a nickname."
Lucian stared at Elvi for a minute, then nodded and turned to first Brunswick, then
Mike, his wife, each of the other immortals, and finally to Victor.
Victor didn't resist or try to block Lucian when he felt the ruffling in his mind, knowing
that his brother had already read Elvi's thoughts as well as those of Brunswick, the
Knights', the other immortals, and probably half the crowd outside the booth if not all
of them. It was the quickest and easiest way to get to the truth of the matter and
probably the only way to sort this one out.
Apparently finished, Lucian relaxed and glanced at Leigh. "I believe Bastien is going to
have to rent a bigger hall. We'll be adding several more names to the guest list for our
wedding."
Victor let his breath out in a slow hiss, his shoulders relaxing, but stilled when Lucian
turned back to him.
"Just for the record, Victor," he said, "you couldn't take me in a fight. I'd have
slaughtered you. But I understand the reason you would have tried. She's quite special.
Almost as special as my Leigh."
"I'm still surprised that I'm not going to get called before the council or receive any
kind or punishment," Elvi murmured, leaning her back into Victor's chest and resting
her arms on his as they watched Lucian's car pull out of her driveway several hours
later. "I expected some small punishment at least."
"Lucian is the council, or at least the head of it. What he decides is usually law," Victor
explained, then laughed and added, "and he considers making us live here to keep an
eye on the people of Port Henry to ensure they don't tell anyone as punishment."
"'He does not," Elvi laughed, slapping his arm lightly.
"He does, he said so," Victor assured her with a grin.
Elvi just shook her head. "I really like him and Leigh. It's a shame they couldn't stay the
day. They could have taken the room you and DJ used to have."
"They like you too," Victor assured her, hugging her closer and pressing a kiss to the
top of her head. "But they have a plane in Toronto waiting to take them down to
Kansas to take care of a few things at Leigh's restaurant before they head to Europe.
Lucian's worried about our sister‐in‐law and wants to check on her."
"Marguerite," Elvi murmured with a nod. "Leigh explained that they can't reach her
and her daughter's had a baby."
"Yes." He hugged her close, his eyes searching the sky. Mention of Lissianna's baby
reminded him of a last issue he had to cover before he could be sure there were no
obstacles to their future.
"Love, I know you want to have children, but…"
"But?" she asked and he could hear the frown in her voice.
Victor opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated and unwound his arms from her
waist to catch her hand and draw her to a deck chair. Settling himself in it, he pulled
her down onto his lap, cocooning her in his arms before he spoke.
"My son, Vincent, can't survive on bagged blood," he announced.
Elvi glanced up at him with surprise. "He can't?"
Victor shook his head. "He has a genetic anomaly that won't allow it. On a diet of
bagged blood, he'd starve to death."
Elvi frowned. "I thought the nanos fixed things and made us perfect."
"Not perfect, better. Stronger, faster, healthier…" He shrugged. "They apparently don't
see this anomaly as something that needs to be repaired."
"Oh," Elvi murmured thoughtfully, then asked, "How does he survive, then?"
"He has to feed directly from the source," Victor answered.
"He has to bite people," she clarified.
"Yes."
She was silent for several heartbeats and then asked, "He inherited it from you?"
Victor sucked in a breath, he'd known he'd have to tell her, but hadn't imagined she'd
guess. "How did you—?"
"You've been here a week, Victor, and never once fed in front of me," she said
solemnly. "Besides, I overheard DJ offering to cover for you that first night. And
another time. I didn't understand then why, but this explains everything." She tilted