The Accidental Vampire(77)

away from the others when she realized something was wrong with me."

"That was very brave of her," Victor said solemnly. "Especially if she suspected what

you had become."

"Yes," Elvi agreed. "She's a good friend. She got me to the hotel, arranged for blood for

me, and then called Teddy and had him overnight Casey's passport to us in Mexico."

"Your daughter's?"

"Yes. Mabel wanted to fly me home right away, but my passport picture showed me

with graying hair and wrinkles…"

"And you didn't look like that anymore," he murmured.

Elvi nodded. "I don't think I would have survived if Mabel hadn't been there to take

care of everything. She kept me alive, got me home, talked to Teddy and some others

and smoothed it over so they didn't come after me with stakes." She grinned.

"Somehow she presented it to the town as a really cool adventure rather than a horror

story, and I was the tragic hero rather than a monster."

"But to yourself, you were a monster," Victor guessed quietly.

Elvi eyed him solemnly. "I nearly killed her."

"You were out of your head, Elvi. She knows that. If the situation had been reversed

and Mabel had been the one turned that day, or if it had been Casey, how would you

feel?"

Elvi released a shaky sigh. She'd carried the guilt of that episode in her heart for five

years and it wasn't going to wash away that easily. And she didn't want to think about

it. It was time for a change of subject, she decided.

"Are you ready to talk about what happened earlier between us yet?" Victor asked

suddenly, and Elvi glanced at him with alarm. This was not the topic change she'd

wanted. She was not ready to talk about the possibility of their being lifemates.

When a brief, panicked search of her mind didn't turn up any ideas for another topic

change, Elvi simply leaned forward and kissed him. In her experience, that was always

a good way to silence a man. At least, it had always worked with her husband.

It worked well with Victor too, she realized when he caught her by the waist and drew

her off the sofa to settle on his lap in the wicker chair.

Smiling against his mouth, Elvi slid her arms around his shoulders, and then stiffened

when a sudden sharp pain exploded between her shoulder blades and vibrated

outward, stealing her breath and consciousness.

"Elvi?" Victor murmured uncertainly when she went limp in his arms.

Pulling back, he used a hand to catch her face by the chin and tilt it back, frowning

when he saw her closed eyes and pale, slack face. Concern immediately claimed him. It

was one thing for her to faint at the climax of their lovemaking, that was normal for

immortals on first joining, but they'd hardly started here.

"Elvi?" he said again and gently slapped her cheek. When he got no response, Victor

started to move the hand at her back, intending to lift her and set her on the sofa so

he could go get a wet cloth or something, but he froze when his hand brushed

something hard.

Tugging her forward against his chest, Victor peered over her shoulder and down, his

heart stopping at the sight of the arrow protruding from her back.



Chapter Fifteen





"I guess this means the first arrow wasn't an accident, and answers the question of

who the target is," DJ murmured as he watched Victor pop another bag of blood to

Elvi's teeth.

Victor grunted. In truth, he'd rather have been the target himself than see Elvi like this.

He'd been frantic when he realized she'd been shot. Standing with her clasped against

his chest, he'd crossed the sunroom, glancing out at the dark yard beyond as he passed

the window. He hadn't seen anyone below, but the shooter could have been hiding in

the shadows.

Leaving the hunt for her shooter for later, Victor had carried Elvi into her room to tend

her, grateful that DJ and Mabel had chosen that moment to return home and that the

younger immortal had come in search of him.

DJ had taken one look at Elvi on the bed with the arrow in her back, and promptly

yelled for Mabel to bring blood up at once. He'd then slipped into Elvi's bathroom for

some towels, and settled on the opposite side of the bed, offering support and

encouragement as Victor began the incredibly delicate task of removing the arrow

without causing further damage.

Mabel had arrived with blood just as Victor finished pulling the arrow. Much to his

relief, Mabel hadn't gone into hysterics. She'd been upset and demanded to know

what had happened, but hadn't gone about shrieking or fainting or anything of that ilk.

Modern women, it seemed, were a sturdy bunch.

"Her wound is healing," Victor muttered as he switched blood bags. He'd already given

her four bags and her wound was obviously closing. At least it certainly looked smaller