Vampire Valentine

by Lynsay Sands

  Mirabeau squirmed in her seat and licked her lips in anticipation.

  "What are they doing here? I would have thought they'd be on their honeymoon now," Tiny murmured as he parked the SUV behind the Victorian house. Elvi and Victor Argeneau, one of the couples whose wedding she had stood up for, had just come out of the back door and were crossing the deck toward the driveway. Apparently the couple had flown back and beat them to Port Henry.

  "They probably wanted to be here to welcome Stephanie," Mirabeau murmured, undoing her seat belt and opening her door.

  "Are we glad to see you," Elvi announced, rushing forward to clasp Mirabeau's hands as she stepped out of the SUV. "We were really starting to worry. We expected you hours ago."

  "We got a little turned around in the tunnels, then had a couple of unscheduled stops," Mirabeau muttered apologetically.

  "Well, at least you're here now," Elvi said with a smile, her gaze shooting to Stephanie as the girl climbed out of the back of the SUV. Releasing Mirabeau, she moved to clasp the girl's hands, and said, "And you must be Stephanie. I saw you at the wedding, but we didn't really get to meet. I only found out afterward that you were the special guest Lucian had asked about staying with us."

  "He probably didn't want anyone to read your mind and figure out where Stephanie was," Tiny said as he came around the vehicle to join them.

  "That's what he said," Elvi acknowledged, her gaze still on Stephanie who--much to Mirabeau's surprise--had shifted rather close to her, like a shy child attaching herself to a parent's or older sibling's side on meeting strangers.

  "Well..." Mirabeau hesitated, but then glanced back toward the SUV, wondering if they were to head out right away to report to Lucian in Toronto. She doubted they were to risk calling from the house, and the sooner she got it done, the better. The minute she'd made her report, she would be free to do what she wanted...or whom she wanted, she thought, her eyes sliding to Tiny. At least she could until another assignment came up.

  "You aren't leaving already, are you?" Stephanie asked, sounding alarmed.

  "Of course, she isn't, dear," Elvi said at once, slipping between them to put an arm around each female and urge them toward the house, leaving Tiny to follow with Victor. "Mirabeau and Tiny need to check in with Lucian. And then we'll have a nice meal, and they can rest after the long journey before deciding what they'll do next."

  Mirabeau felt her eyebrows rise at the words "deciding what they'll do next." It seemed such an odd thing to say considering the woman didn't know them or the situation they were presently in.

  "Lucian said not to call using anything but Tiny's cell phone, and we lost that in New York," she explained quietly, as they crossed the deck to the back door. "It's why we couldn't call ahead to explain that we'd be late."

  "We have a safe phone," Victor assured her, pulling the door open and holding it for all of them to troop inside.

  Mirabeau followed Elvi through an open kitchen with a breakfast counter, then into a large dining area with a beautiful fireplace.

  There were three people seated at the table--a very pretty blond woman, and two men, one dark and one blond. All three rose at once to greet them as Elvi said, "This is my best friend Mabel, her life mate DJ and a dear friend of ours, Harper." She gestured to each in turn as their group came to a halt and spread out a bit in the dining area. "And this lovely young lady is Stephanie, who will be staying with us for a while." She beamed a smile at the girl, then added, "And Mirabeau and Tiny, who were kind enough to see her safely here and miss out on the wedding party after the ceremony."

  "You didn't miss much," DJ, the darker male, assured them as he moved forward to shake hands. "There was no drunkenness or bawdy jokes, just a bunch of dressed-up people wishing they could go home and get naked."

  "DJ." Mabel shook her head, but she was smiling at the man, obviously not really upset by his words.

  "Well it's true," DJ said, unrepentant. "What's the first thing we did when we could finally leave and go back to our hotel room?"

  "Dear God, they're everywhere," Stephanie muttered.

  Knowing she was talking about new life mates who couldn't seem to do anything but "lust after each other or do it" as she'd put it earlier, Mirabeau turned her back to the group to give a warning look to the girl and heard a horrified gasp behind her.

  "Child, what happened to your hair?"

  Mirabeau turned back around, a hand going self-consciously to the back of her head at that exclamation from Mabel, but the woman hurried forward and immediately turned her around to get a better look at it.

  "What on earth," Elvi's friend breathed, and Mirabeau felt her plucking at the hair left on the back of her head.

  "A homeless guy ripped some of her extensions out," Stephanie said helpfully, and Mirabeau didn't miss the amusement in her voice as Elvi and Mabel crowded around to examine the damage.

  "Well, we'll have to fix that for you," Mabel decided firmly.

  "Yes," Elvi agreed, and began to urge both Mirabeau and Stephanie out of the dining room and toward a winding staircase in the front foyer. "Come along. Tiny can call Lucian while we fix your hair."

  "Yes, you can't go around looking like that. I thought you'd been scalped when I first saw it," Mabel said from somewhere behind her, then asked, "Are there supposed to be pink patches in your hair, or is that a result of the extensions?"

  "She had fuchsia tips before Marguerite took her to the hairdresser," Elvi explained in a hushed tone.

  "Oh, my, well...that's...interesting, child," Mabel responded weakly, and Mirabeau felt a bubble of laughter at the back of her throat. It was obvious the woman wasn't sure what to make of it, but then despite her youthful looks, Mabel was somewhere in her early sixties and probably not into the new styles. Of course, Mirabeau was even older still, but had been born immortal and had never looked or even really felt old. These two ladies were new turns who had been gray-haired and grandmotherly before their turn. Which was probably why Mabel had called her child when Mirabeau was actually her elder. The woman hadn't gotten used to the idea that, at least physically, she was now a young woman.

  "Here we are," Elvi said cheerfully, steering them into a large room with a king-sized bed and sitting area. "This will be your and Tiny's room while you're here."

  Mirabeau was blinking at the announcement, when Mabel explained, "Marguerite told us she felt sure the two of you were life mates when she had Lucian put the two of you together to bring Stephanie here. And it's obvious she was right."

  "It is?" Mirabeau asked with dismay, sure she hadn't said or done anything that might give away her feelings for the mortal.

  "You don't have to say anything, dear," Elvi said gently. "Your thoughts are pretty loud. They must be. Mabel and I haven't quite got the hang of reading thoughts yet. We can barely read mortals, and only then with a lot of effort, but you and Tiny are like a pair of radios playing at top volume."

  "And you're broadcasting a porno station," Mabel announced with a grin. "Every time you glance his way, your mind is undressing and doing delicious things to him, and he's no better."

  "I told you you were screaming your thoughts," Stephanie said with vindication.

  Mirabeau merely closed her eyes and wished she were dead.

  "You can hear her thoughts then too?" Elvi asked with surprise, and Mirabeau opened her eyes to see Stephanie nod.

  "I can hear you too, and everyone downstairs," she admitted.

  "Even Harper?" Mabel asked with a frown.

  "Yes."

  "Well, aren't you clever?" Elvi said, rubbing the girl's shoulder. "That must be a special talent then, because Harper is apparently quite hard to read."

  "Really?" Stephanie asked, standing a little straighter under the praise.

  "Yes indeed. Even Victor has trouble reading him since he lost his mate." She sighed unhappily, and explained, "He and the other boys found life mates while here the summer before last. But Harper's didn't survive the turn."
<
br />   "Hmm," Mabel muttered, urging Mirabeau to sit on the bed so that she could fuss with her hair. "And that was a shock, I can tell you. We were all worried about Alessandro's mate because she is in her eighties, but she came through with flying colors. Instead, Harper's life mate, who was young and seemingly in good health, was the one to have trouble. It seems she had a bad ticker no one knew about. She died before the nanos could get to her heart to repair and strengthen it."

  Silence filled the room for a moment, then Mabel announced, "I think I can get these out, but we're going to have to move to the bathroom to do it."

  Mirabeau immediately found herself ushered to the bathroom.

  Chapter Eleven

  "Would you like a drink?" Victor asked, as the women disappeared upstairs.

  Tiny nodded. The chili dog had been delicious but a bit salty, and he'd been parched for the last half hour of the drive. "Thank you, that would be nice."

  "Alcohol or coffee?" Victor asked, moving around the counter toward the kitchen half of the room. When Tiny hesitated, he added, "You're off duty now. Alcohol is all right."

  "Alcohol it is then," Tiny murmured, thinking a beer would hit the spot.

  "I'll get us a couple beers," DJ offered, reading his mind.

  As the other man got to his feet, Victor nodded. "Grab me one too, please. I'll get glasses."

  DJ opened a door off the kitchen and headed downstairs to where the beer was apparently kept, and Victor busied himself in the kitchen, leaving Tiny alone with the man they'd introduced as Harper.

  "You're Mirabeau's life mate," the other man said quietly.

  Tiny nodded slowly. "It would seem so."

  "Congratulations," Harper said quietly. Then he asked, "How's your health?"

  "Good," Tiny answered, a little bewildered by the question.

  "Your heart?" he asked.

  Tiny felt his eyebrows rise, but said, "Strong as a bull according to my doctor after my stress test last month."

  Harper's lips twisted into a bittersweet smile. "Then don't let your fears of the future hold you back. Being a life mate is a rare and wondrous thing. Grab on to it, and don't let go. You won't regret it."

  He then stood and left the room with a nod, leaving Tiny staring after him with bewilderment.

  "Harper lost his life mate and is having a rough time of it," Victor murmured, coming back into the dining area. "He's right though. Don't let fear prevent you from accepting the happiness you and Mirabeau could have."

  "I won't," Tiny murmured, and knew it was true. While he did have concerns about what it would mean in regard to his family, he just couldn't resist the pull of his attraction for Mirabeau. Accepting the empty glass Victor held out, he murmured a polite, "Thanks," and thought that, while he preferred beer straight from the bottle, he'd drink from the glass to be polite.

  "Actually, I prefer the bottle too," Victor said wryly, obviously having read his mind again.

  Tiny smiled faintly, but once again thought it might be nice to be immortal and be able to guard his thoughts from others.

  "I was trying to be a good host, but"--Victor took back the glass he'd just given Tiny, and said wryly--"this way there are no glasses to clean up." He swung away to return the glasses, adding, "The phone's there on the counter. The handset is cordless, so if you want privacy, take it out on the deck."

  "Thanks," Tiny said again, and moved to collect the phone.

  "It looks like you have two Marguerites," Mirabeau murmured, as Mabel and Elvi moved away to examine the various shampoos and conditioners they had between them, trying to decide which one would be best for Mirabeau's "stressed" hair now that the extensions were out. They were a delightful pair--amusing, caring, and loving, and had both been fussing over Stephanie as they'd worked, asking her questions and drawing her into the conversation.

  The girl rolled her eyes at Mirabeau's words, but she suspected it was for show. She sensed that the girl was secretly pleased.

  "Here we are. We've decided this one is the best bet," Elvi announced, holding out a matching set of bottles, one holding shampoo, the other conditioner. "Do you want to wash it in the shower or just at the sink?"

  "The sink is fine," Mirabeau murmured, and immediately found herself with a woman on each side, determined to help her do it at the bathroom sink. Unused to the fussing herself, she was relieved when the chore was done and she could dry her hair and use some gel to return it to its usual spiky state.

  "My," Mabel murmured, as Mirabeau finished and presented herself for inspection. "That style is really quite attractive on you, dear. The fuchsia tips are really quite striking. I like it."

  "Yes, it's quite nice," Elvi agreed. And then her eyes shifted past Mirabeau, and she smiled, and asked, "What do you think, Tiny?"

  Mirabeau glanced over her shoulder with surprise. Her own eyes widened as she saw Tiny standing in the doorway.

  "I think Mirabeau always looks beautiful," Tiny said solemnly. "But I like this style best. It suits her."

  Elvi beamed at the man, and said, "I knew you were an intelligent man the moment I met you in New York, Tiny McGraw."

  Much to Mirabeau's amazement, he actually blushed at the compliment, which just seemed to please Elvi more. Chuckling softly, the woman caught Mabel and Stephanie each by an arm and began to usher them out of the bathroom. "Well, our work here is done, girls. Why don't we leave these two alone for a bit and go have tea? Stephanie, do you like white chocolate strawberry cookies?"

  "I don't think I've ever had them," Stephanie murmured, as Tiny stepped out of the way to allow them to exit the bathroom.

  "Oh, well then, you're in for a real treat. They're divine," she said, as they headed through the bedroom. "We stopped and picked up a bunch on our way home from the airport."

  "She got cheesecake too," Mabel announced dryly, then told Stephanie in conspiratorial tones, "You'll find that Elvi has something of a sweet tooth."

  "So do I," Stephanie said with a grin.

  "Oh, brilliant," Elvi crooned happily. "We shall get on like gangbusters!"

  Mirabeau glanced to Tiny and shook her head wryly as the door closed behind the trio. "They are going to spoil her rotten before Dani can get here to collect her."

  "She's been through a lot and deserves a little spoiling," Tiny said mildly, then added, "And so do you."

  Mirabeau found her breath hitching in surprise and her heart melting a little at the words. It had been the exactly right thing to say. Mirabeau started across the room with every intention of kissing him for saying it, when he suddenly held up a phone.

  "Lucian wants to talk to you."

  "Lucian?" She stared at the phone with amazement. "You've been on the phone with him all this time?"

  He grimaced and shook his head. "I tried calling, got a busy signal, had a beer with the boys, and tried again."

  It had obviously been a long beer, Mirabeau thought, and wondered if "the boys" had been gently prodding him about her just like the women had been prodding her about him. Shaking her head, she sighed and took the phone. "Hello?"

  "So Tiny's your life mate," were the first words growled in her ear.

  Mirabeau stiffened, then scowled at the phone before saying pleasantly, "Would this be a business call, or pleasure, Lucian?"

  "Business," he barked. "Is he or isn't he your life mate?"

  Mirabeau grimaced, but snapped, "Yes."

  There was a hiss as if he was sucking in air, then Lucian cursed. "Goddamn that Marguerite. She's going to make my life miserable. I was already shorthanded when it came to enforcers, and now I'll be one shorter."

  "Well, you're the one who let her convince you to put us together," she pointed out with exasperation. "You could have said no."

  "And stop you from meeting a possible life mate?" he asked with outrage. "Not likely, little girl."

  Mirabeau found her lips reluctantly curling into a smile. He hadn't called her little girl since
the death of her family.

  "I'm walking you down the aisle," he announced firmly. "Your father would have wanted it."

  "There's no walking yet," she gasped, glancing worriedly at Tiny. Dear God, they hardly knew each other, and Lucian had them marrying. "And you haven't lost another hunter. I'll stay the night and tomorrow, then head back as soon as the sun sets, ready for work."

  "The hell you will," Lucian snapped.

  "I will," she insisted.

  "Don't bother. You'd be useless to me anyway. Stay in Port Henry for a while and work Tiny out of your system. That's an order," he added firmly. "And tell Tiny it's an order for him too. Jackie has already agreed and--" He paused abruptly, and Mirabeau heard the murmur of a woman's voice in the background. She only realized it must be Tiny's boss, Jackie, when Lucian's muffled voice said, "All right, all right," before growing louder again as he told her, "Jackie says to tell Tiny she's very happy for him and to take as much time as he needs."

  Mirabeau hesitated, her eyes sliding to Tiny and back to the phone, then she asked uncertainly, "What if he doesn't want to?"

  "Oh, he wants to, little girl. I already asked him. Enjoy." The last word was followed by a click as he hung up.

  "Good-bye to you too," Mirabeau muttered, hitting the button to kill her end of the call. Sighing, she peered at Tiny, cleared her throat, and murmured, "He said we should stay here for a while."

  "I heard," he admitted, then asked quietly, "is that all right with you?"

  She smiled crookedly. "It doesn't seem like I have much choice. He's my boss, and it's an order."

  "That's a cop-out," Tiny said quietly. "Do you want to or not?"

  Mirabeau swallowed and avoided his eyes. "I...I can't read you...and I want you."

  "I already knew that, Mirabeau," he pointed out gently. "The question is, are you ready to have a life mate?"

  For one minute, she struggled with the question, reluctant to admit that she was, but that was young Mirabeau briefly raising her head and all her fears with it. She wasn't that poor, broken girl anymore. She was an immortal woman, and he was her life mate, and it didn't matter what she knew or didn't know about him, or anything else. The fact was the nanos knew they would be good together, and as all immortals knew, the nanos were never wrong. He was her future. Mirabeau realized suddenly that all the fears she'd been experiencing were just leftover gifts from her uncle's actions. He'd definitely taken enough already. She wasn't letting him take Tiny from her too.