The Accidental Vampire(117)

her head to ask, "Is that why you disappeared for a bit when we were at the Night

Club?"

"Yes," he acknowledged warily, but she just nodded and leaned into him again.

"Do you mind?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"Mind what?" she asked, sounding confused.

"About my having to bite other women?"

"Well, you could bite men too," she pointed out with amusement.

"Yes, and I will, but there will be times when it's a woman who will be most handy," he

said quietly.

Elvi shrugged. "Why should I mind? If it's the only way for you to feed…" She shrugged

again.

"Marion minded," he murmured.

"Marion died before there were blood banks, she must have had to feed by biting as

well. Why would it bother her?"

"She was afraid I'd find the women attractive, I think," he admitted.

Elvi gave a laugh. "Then maybe there was something wrong with Marion. It's hard to

find someone attractive when you're thinking of them as dinner. At least, it was for

me. I certainly didn't find any of those eighteen‐year‐old boys attractive."

She peered at him solemnly. "Victor, even if you found them attractive, I know you

wouldn't do anything with them. I'm your lifemate. I doubt you're likely to run into

another woman you can't read while out feeding. I'm not insecure enough to fret over

that." She tilted her head. "Is that why you haven't told me until now?"

"That and I worried that you might be upset at the idea of having children who would

have to feed that way as well. Bastien says the chances might be fifty‐fifty as to

whether they are or not, it depends on whether they take after the mother or the

father. It's something of a stigma among our people."

"Well, then, I guess we'll have to hope they take after me," she said reasonably. "But if

they don't we'll deal with it. We can deal with anything together. I love you."

"I love you too," he breathed, hugging her close. "How did I get lucky enough to find

you?"

"Mabel put an ad in the single's column," she reminded him teasingly and Victor

laughed and hugged her close, and then stood with her in his arms and started up the

stairs to the sunroom.

"I was thinking we might like to take a trip in the near future," he murmured as he

paused at the top of the stairs.

"Oh?" Elvi asked, pulling the sunroom door open so that he could carry her in.

"Yes. To California. To see my son."

Elvi glanced at him sharply. "Really?"

"Really," he said softly. "It's time. And somehow I don't think it will be painful

anymore."

"I love you, Victor Argeneau," she whispered, hugging him tightly as he carried her

through to the bedroom.

"I love you, Ellen Elvi Black Stone… But I can't wait to change your name to Argeneau

so I know what to call you."

"Just call me 'Love' ," she whispered and kissed him as he lowered them both to the

bed.