Twice Bitten

by Lynsay Sands

  Elspeth turned her head back to Wyatt, who grimaced so that only she could see it.

  "G.G. had to carry you because of my feet, of course," he said in a growl that showed his displeasure at not being able to carry her in himself. Wyatt probably also wasn't pleased because then G.G. would have had to carry him in to keep up the pretense that his feet were still recovering from the burns he received in the fire.

  "G.G.'s okay, then?" she asked in a whisper to avoid the pain she'd suffered the first time she'd spoken.

  "Yes, I am," a voice as deep as Wyatt's announced, and Elspeth looked to the left side of the bed to find the giant man seated in a chair. He smiled at her solemnly, and added, "Thanks to you."

  "Yes, G.G. told us how he forgot to do up his seat belt and you reminded him to buckle up just before the accident," Meredith announced with a sigh. "He was so lucky you were there to remind him. He could have died."

  Elspeth supposed they couldn't have told the woman that she'd jumped on him and played human airbag for the man during the crash.

  "Thank you," G.G. said sincerely. "I got knocked out, and had a small bump after the accident, but that's all."

  Elspeth nodded, relieved to find the action didn't cause pain to scream through her head as it had when she'd last woken up. Her eyes widened abruptly, and she turned her head back to Wyatt. "Paul?"

  "Yes, we managed to get him the boxes after the accident," he said reassuringly, his eyes darting to his grandmother and back, and then he added meaningfully, "He's all taken care of. Three of Mortimer's men helped him in one little exercise."

  Elspeth frowned slightly, wondering if he was saying what she thought he was. Had they performed a three-on-one on the man? Wiping his mind clean and leaving him a blank slate? Or possibly a drooling idiot? It could go either way with mortals. But no one deserved it more than Paul Albrecht, the homicidal psycho . . . wanting to kill his mother, kill her, kill everyone in the house. Honestly, she should have taken a bite out of his neck, a big one.

  "I'm very glad you are all right, Elspeth," Aunt Marguerite said, drawing her gaze. "We've all been very worried."

  Elspeth smiled faintly.

  "But now I think I'm going to drag Meredith downstairs and ply her with dinner. It must be ready by now, Merry, and you did say you were hungry just a moment ago," Marguerite added.

  "Oh yes." Meredith frowned, looking torn. She obviously didn't want to leave Elspeth so soon after her waking, but then her stomach growled, and loudly.

  Smiling, Elspeth squeezed Meredith's hands. "Go on and eat. I'll still be here when you're done."

  Smiling, Meredith bent and kissed her cheek affectionately. "Very well, then. But I'll be quick . . . and I'll bring you something when I return. Do you think you could manage to keep down food?"

  "I'm sure I could," Elspeth told her solemnly.

  "Good. You just rest, then, and I'll return soon," Meredith said, setting her hand down and patting it before turning to start making her way to the door.

  Marguerite bent then to kiss her forehead and whispered, "I'm glad you're recovered and awake. I love you."

  "I love you too, Aunt Marguerite," Elspeth murmured as the woman straightened.

  Nodding, Marguerite turned and quickly caught up to Meredith. The two walked out of the room together.

  "I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you too," G.G. announced, standing up and smiling at her when Elspeth turned to him. "I have to get to The Night Club and prep for opening. I just wanted to make sure you were good before I did."

  "Thank you, G.G.," Elspeth murmured. "I'm very glad you're okay. I was worried about the head knock on the roof as we rolled over. I hadn't thought to cover the top of your head."

  "It's all good. I'm hardheaded, as my mother would tell you," he assured her.

  Elspeth snorted at the claim. "Your mother would tell me no such thing. She thinks you're an angel."

  "Yeah, she does," he agreed with a chuckle. "I've got her fooled, huh?"

  Elspeth just shook her head with amusement.

  "I'll come see you again tomorrow," he said, walking around the bed. "Or you could come see me at The Night Club, even. Your drinks are on the house there for life. At least, my life."

  He was out the door before she could reply.

  "How do you feel?"

  Elspeth turned to peer at Wyatt and smiled. "Good. My throat's a little sore, and my mouth dry, but I'm much better than I felt the last time I woke up."

  Wyatt was off the bed at once and pouring her a glass of water from a pitcher on the bedside table. There were two glasses, she noted, and he poured himself some water too, but left it there for now. Settling on the bed next to her, he slid an arm under her shoulders and urged her up as he placed the rim of the glass against her lip.

  Elspeth wanted to tell him she could do this herself, but the moment she opened her mouth, he tipped water in. She gulped it down, and closed her eyes with relief as it soothed her mouth and throat.

  "I love you."

  Elspeth blinked her eyes open and peered at him wide-eyed. "I--"

  "I nearly died when I came through the door and saw that bastard shoot you through the heart."

  That made her frown, and she asked, "Where was I? How did you find me? What happened after he shot me? No, wait," she said suddenly. "First tell me if everyone was all right after the accident. What happened there?"

  Wyatt hesitated, and then said, "Sam woke up before the rest of us and used Rachel's phone to call Mortimer. I was the second to wake, and when I saw you were missing, and the blood trail through the grass . . ." He shook his head, his mouth tightening, but then took a deep breath and continued, "We were all awake by the time Mortimer's men reached us. G.G. had the bump on the head and a headache, but seemed all right otherwise. Sam and I had a few bruises and banged our heads a bit in the roll, but were fine too." He paused then before finishing, "Rachel was in a bad way though."

  Elspeth stiffened. Rachel had been in the front passenger seat, right in front of G.G. She'd been on the side that took the impact too. "How bad?"

  "Her arm was nearly severed at the shoulder, and her right leg crushed. Mortimer's men had to cut her out of the car." He shook his head. "They were surprisingly quick at it."

  Elspeth nodded, not surprised. "Is she all right now?"

  "Yes. She woke up this morning," he assured her. "She's already up and about and went home with Etienne, who made her promise never to work for Mortimer again in any other capacity except as a doctor."

  Elspeth smiled faintly at that.

  "Two of Mortimer's men brought Rachel straight back here. Fortunately, Grandmother was apparently in the kitchen and didn't see. The rest of us went to the Enforcer House. I thought Mortimer would still have to track Paul's phone, but then Sam remembered that you had her phone. They were able to pull up your exact location on a map on the computer."

  Elspeth nodded. "I know the program. I've seen him use it for other hunters. It's awesome."

  "Yeah," Wyatt agreed, and then grimaced and said, "You were in an abandoned building on the edge of the city. Albrecht had rigged up some kind of battery and a desk lamp for light."

  "That was a desk lamp?" she asked with disbelief. "I thought it was going to burn my eyeballs out."

  "It looked like a desk lamp, but I think he had a spotlight bulb in it. Not sure how he rigged it up though. It was actually pretty impressive. The guy was brilliant I think. It's just too bad he . . ."

  ". . . was a homicidal psycho with matricide on the mind?" she suggested.

  "Yeah," Wyatt said with a grin, and then sighed and continued, "Anyway, I wanted to charge in, but Mortimer insisted on a plan. Surrounding the place, yada yada," he said with disgust. "If we'd just rushed in we would have got to you before he shot you," he added sharply, and then cleared his throat and said, "Fair warning. I might have said some pretty choice words to Mortimer about that and . . . stuff, after I got you safely back here."

  "Stuff?" she asked w
ith interest.

  "I might have maybe punched him . . . a time or two," he admitted with a grimace. "I was a bit upset."

  Elspeth bit her lip to keep from grinning at the words. Wyatt had always seemed so in control of himself since she'd met him. He'd seemed steady and commanding to her as he'd acted as bodyguard. And the way he'd pushed them both to the limit over and over while making love, and then pulled back, just to do it over again . . . She really didn't think most new life mates could have maintained the control to do that. But while he seemed in control of himself and the situation, he never tried to control her, or make her do anything she didn't want. That was part of the reason she loved him, Elspeth thought, and then blinked as she realized what she was thinking.

  Loved him? Did she? Elspeth bit her lip. Yes, she did. He was polite, kind, gentle, yet strong and commanding, and she suspected would handle any situation thrown at him with calm reason . . . well, everything except Mortimer making him wait long enough for her to get shot, she thought with a smile.

  "I'll have to apologize to him, I suppose," Wyatt muttered now. "Planning was the smart move. We had no idea what kind of situation we were running in to." Sighing, he nodded. "Yeah, I'll apologize."

  Elspeth liked that about him too. He apologized when he thought he was wrong. And she'd also been impressed when he'd had no problem acknowledging that she, Alex, and Sam, as immortals, were stronger than him. He hadn't even seemed to mind. Most men would have been uncomfortable with that, she was sure, but Wyatt was confident enough to accept it without issue. He was a man well worth loving.

  "Anyway, we rushed in just as he shot you. Mortimer and some hunter named Rickart got to Paul first, and I rushed to you."

  "And they performed a three-on-one on Paul?" she asked.

  "You did understand what I was trying to tell you," he said with amusement. "Anyway, Mortimer had the men take him back to the cells behind the Enforcer House. The Council was called in last night, and apparently ordered a three-on-one done on him. Of course, I didn't know what that was until Marguerite explained."

  Elspeth nodded and they both fell silent for a moment, and then Wyatt lifted her glass and asked, "More water?"

  She nodded, but took it from him this time and handled the glass on her own, so Wyatt took the other glass, walked around the bed and slid in next to her.

  "You're lucky it was me and not Meredith who walked in and caught you on your feet, Wyatt."

  Elspeth glanced over at that comment and smiled at Lissianna as she entered the room.

  "Mom wanted me to ask if you two are interested in food now, or . . ."

  "I can wait for Merry to come back," Elspeth assured her when her voice trailed off.

  "Me too," Wyatt agreed.

  Lissianna nodded, but didn't leave right away. Instead, she dithered briefly, and then heaved a sigh and said, "And I'm to ask you if you feel up to speaking to your father?"

  Elspeth stiffened in the bed. "Dad?"

  Lissianna nodded. "Uncle Aloysius arrived just before they brought you back after you were shot. He was quite upset when he saw the shape you were in when G.G. carried you into the house," she added gently. "He wants to see you, but if you don't feel up to it . . ."

  Elspeth delayed answering by drinking her water. She was worrying about why he was there. Was he going to try to guilt her into returning to England to please her mother? Her father had always done what he could to make her mother happy, and had almost always been on her mother's side. Would he be this time too? The only way to find out was to speak to him, she supposed, and finished her water before saying, "I'll see him."

  Nodding, Lissianna turned and slid from the room.

  "Do you want me to stay or go?" Wyatt asked solemnly.

  "Stay," Elspeth said at once, alarmed at the mere thought of his leaving.

  "Thank God," he muttered, squeezing her hand gently. "I would have tried to go if you wanted me to, but don't think I could have brought myself to leave you alone with him."

  "Afraid he's here to drag me home?" she asked with a crooked smile.

  "I won't let him," Wyatt said grimly.

  "Neither will I," she assured him solemnly.

  "And I will not try."

  Elspeth glanced sharply to the door at that solemn comment, her eyes widening on her father. She'd thought he was downstairs and Lissianna had gone to get him, but he must have been in the hall to have arrived so quickly. And he'd obviously heard everything they'd said, Elspeth thought as she watched him approach the bed.

  Aloysius Pimms had always seemed bigger than life to her. He was a beautiful man--dark hair, chiseled features, a generous mouth, and large silver-blue eyes with lashes so long and thick, any woman would have killed to have them. Aside from that, he'd always walked with an air of confidence that said there was nothing he feared. That confidence was lacking right now, however, she noted with surprise. Instead he appeared almost tentative.

  Pausing at the side of the bed, he peered at her silently for a moment, several emotions crossing his face in succession and so swiftly she couldn't really track them, and then he shifted his gaze to Wyatt. Giving a nod, he murmured, "You must be my daughter's life mate, Wyatt. I didn't see you come in when you all returned to the house, but Marguerite has spoken well of you."

  "You were busy calming Julianna and Victoria by the time G.G. carried me in," Wyatt said quietly.

  "Ah, yes," her father said quietly. "Your grandmother doesn't know about us, or that my daughter turned you."

  "No," Wyatt murmured.

  Elspeth's father nodded, and then shifted his gaze almost reluctantly back to her. For a moment, he just stared at her, conflict on his face. Just when she thought he wasn't going to saying anything at all, he blurted, "Ellie, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I knew your mother had some issues, but I didn't realize how bad it had gotten."

  Elspeth opened her mouth when he paused, but then closed it again, not sure what to say. He should have known. There had been enough evidence of it, she was sure, but as Greg had suggested, she suspected he'd been blind to it to avoid having to do something about it.

  "Yes, perhaps that's true," her father said on a weary sigh as if she'd spoken aloud. "Looking back I can see the clues and evidence of what she was doing, and I probably should have realized that she was more than just a little overprotective and a touch too controlling. But I promise you, I certainly had no idea you'd met your life mate on your birthday when you went missing four years ago, and that she'd taken the memory from you. I never would have stood by for that."

  Elspeth relaxed a little, and nodded solemnly before asking, "And now that you know?"

  "I'll ensure nothing of the sort ever happens again. To you or your sisters," he vowed quietly.

  Elspeth couldn't help the doubt that slid across her face. It wasn't that she doubted him so much as his ability to keep her mother from trying to control them again. It was so ingrained in Martine's personality now that Elspeth found it hard to believe anyone could rein her in. So she was rather shocked when her father added, "Your mother has agreed to see someone about her . . . issues."

  "What?" she gasped with amazement.

  Aloysius nodded solemnly. "It took some doing, but she's agreed to speak to a professional."

  Elspeth figured the part about it taking some doing was the understatement of the century. By her guess it had probably taken a battle royal to get her mother to agree to such a concession. Possibly even the threat of his leaving her.

  "Yes. That's what it took," he agreed solemnly, obviously reading her thoughts again. "But she agreed, so I don't have to give her up, and all is well."

  "Thank you, Daddy," Elspeth whispered, knowing how hard making that ultimatum must have been for him. Her father didn't make idle threats. Had Martine not agreed to counseling, he would have left. Which was probably the only reason her mother had agreed to seek counseling. Elspeth didn't know what that meant. Whether the counseling would do her mother any good or not when she was onl
y going to appease her husband, but it was better than nothing, she supposed.

  "I think it might be best if you sought counseling too," he added now, and when she stiffened, he added quickly, "To deal with any damage your mother's behavior and my lack of action may have caused. I don't want the rest of your life affected by it. I'll pay, of course. There's no need for you to cash in one of your bonds or--" He paused abruptly, his gaze narrowing on her forehead as confusion covered her face. "You didn't know about the bonds that were signed over to you at twenty-five," he said slowly with a frown and then sagged slightly and shook his head, muttering almost to himself, "Your mother said she'd told you, but of course she didn't. You might have used them to gain your independence."

  He ran a weary hand around the back of his neck, and then let it drop and said, "We can talk about that later. In fact, we can talk about everything later. I don't want to wear you out while you are still healing. If you are willing to speak again later?" he added quickly.

  "Yes, of course," Elspeth said at once, and then, because he looked so uncertain, she added, "I love you, Daddy."

  A smile lifted his lips and he bent to press a kiss to her forehead, murmuring, "I love you too, baby girl. Everything will work out," he added as he straightened. "This is the best thing for your mother. For all of us."

  "Yes," she agreed solemnly, because he seemed to need the reassurance. Besides, while she wasn't sure it would help, it might, and certainly couldn't hurt.

  Nodding as if in agreement with her thoughts, Elspeth's father squeezed her shoulder and then held his hand out to Wyatt. "Welcome to the family, son. I hope to speak to you later as well and get to know you better . . . if you are willing?"

  "Of course . . . sir," Wyatt added the title of respect in a slightly bemused voice. Elspeth smiled faintly, knowing how odd it was speaking to a man you knew was your partner's father, but who looked younger than yourself. Or at least, younger than Wyatt had looked when she'd first met him. While she knew he was thirty-six, he'd come out of the turn looking younger, although Meredith didn't appear to have noticed yet.