Twice Bitten

  "Everything okay?" Alex asked.

  "Yes," Sam said, and then explained, "Mortimer just wanted to let us know that Martine discovered that Elspeth wasn't in her bed and called him to bawl him out for not having guards on her before this, and to see if she was at the Enforcer House. Mortimer told her where we'd gone, but that we'd no doubt head back to the apartment once done shopping."

  "Oh dear. I'm sorry," Elspeth said with a wince, and then added, "She probably blamed him for my climbing over the balcony to avoid her too. Everything would be his fault, of course, and not hers."

  "Damn, girl!" Alex peered at her with amazement. "Cale said your mother could be controlling, but climbing over the balcony to leave your own apartment?"

  "Yeah." She shrugged helplessly. "Climbing down from the balcony was the only way to get out of the apartment without her attaching herself to me like a conjoined twin."

  Alex shook her head. "Why on earth did you invite her to visit if she's this difficult?"

  "I didn't invite her. She and the twins just showed up. To surprise me," she added with disgust.

  Sam grimaced with sympathy and reached out to pat her arm. "I suspected as much when I heard she was here. I mean, her control issues are the reason you left England and moved here. Besides, you hadn't mentioned that they were coming."

  Elspeth nodded solemnly. She'd become friends with Mortimer's wife since she'd started helping out at the Enforcer House. She enjoyed talking to her and had shared things about her life.

  "Gran mentioned that you moved here because your mother is controlling," Wyatt admitted. "But isn't moving out of the country a bit extreme?"

  "Mother's control issues are extreme," Elspeth assured him.

  "It took Elspeth almost a century to get to move out on her own," Sam told him. "And she had to sneak around to do it."

  His eyebrows drew together with uncertainty. "I don't understand. Are you saying--"

  "She's been trying to move out on her own since she was fifty years old," Sam explained.

  Eyebrows rising, Wyatt turned to Elspeth. "Why would that be a problem? I mean, once you were eighteen she couldn't stop you from leaving."

  "Have you met Martine?" Alex asked with amusement. "She's pretty intimidating."

  "But it wasn't intimidation that kept Elspeth from moving out," Sam said with a scowl. "Any time she said she wanted to move out, or get a job, Martine just took control of her and changed her mind for her."

  "You're kidding!" Alex said with dismay, and then turned to Elspeth. "She didn't, did she?"

  "She did," Elspeth assured her. "Fortunately, Dad stepped in when it came to an education and a job, but he let her have her way about the other. I think he felt we should fight for our independence ourselves."

  "Wait," Wyatt said with a frown. "Are you saying immortals can control each other too?"

  "Older immortals can read and control younger ones," Elspeth explained quietly.

  "Wow," Alex breathed now, her gaze on Elspeth. "Your mother controlling you like that . . . That's pretty messed up. What's her deal?"

  Elspeth's eyebrows rose at the question. "Did Cale never explain the reason she's like this?"

  "There's a reason?" Wyatt asked.

  Elspeth nodded, but then glanced to Sam when her phone rang again.

  The other woman pulled her phone back out, peered at the screen and groaned. "It's your mother. Mortimer must have given her my number."

  "Decline it," Alex suggested.

  "No. She'd just call Mortimer and harass him and he has enough on his plate what with the Russians in town and Beth and Scotty getting themselves burnt to a cinder." Hitting the button to accept the call, she turned to walk away.

  Elspeth stared after her and then turned to Alex. "What did she mean when she said Beth and Scotty got burnt to a cinder?"

  "Oh, right, you don't know yet," Alex said and then grimaced. "Well, you know that joke job you sent Beth and the Russians on the night your mother arrived?"

  "Joke job?" Wyatt asked.

  "A soft call. The hunters call them joke jobs," Elspeth explained, and then turned back to Alex and asked, "You mean the call about a coffin in a barn?"

  "Yes." Alex nodded. "Well, it turns out the barn was booby trapped with wires and explosives. Beth was supposed to lead her team in there, get beheaded by wires, be trapped inside when other wires pulled the barn doors closed, and then be finished off with a firebomb."

  "What?" Elspeth gasped with shock.

  Alex nodded.

  "Is she all right?" Elspeth asked with a frown. "And how did Scotty get burned? He wasn't working with Beth and the Russians."

  "No, he wasn't," Alex agreed, and then explained, "Scotty was among the backup, but before he got there Beth and one of the women with her went in to collect the pieces of the first Russian, it set off the firebomb. Beth came running out in flames, as Scotty got there. He threw himself on top of her to try to put out the flames and whoosh!" She gestured an explosive action with her hands. "He went up in flames too."

  "Damn," Elspeth breathed.

  "How?" Wyatt asked, his eyes narrowing. "Was some kind of accelerant splashed on everyone?"

  "It wouldn't be needed," Elspeth said quietly. "We're extremely flammable. In fact, it's the only real way to kill an immortal."

  "And beheading," Alex put in.

  "Yeah," Elspeth agreed, but added, "Although, even that can heal if the head's put back on the neck quickly enough."

  "Seriously?" Wyatt asked with amazement.

  Elspeth nodded, but asked Alex, "Do they know who the trap was for and who set it?"

  "They're pretty sure it was meant for Beth, but they have no idea who's behind it."

  "Jeez," Elspeth breathed. "Poor Mortimer. His plate is overflowing just now."

  "Yeah. Sam's worried about him. She says the stress is really starting to pile up. I mean first they drag off more than half his hunters to Venezuela, and then everybody and their brother hops on the rogue bandwagon up here. Now Beth and Scotty got themselves toasted." She shook her head. "I guess they brought them to the Enforcer House and the pair were screaming all that first day and part of the second too. Sam and Mortimer haven't had much sleep lately."

  "No, I don't imagine they have," Elspeth said solemnly.

  "Yes, and--"

  "Grrrrr! Argh!"

  Elspeth glanced to the side even as Alex did and they watched Sam drop her phone in her purse as she returned to them.

  "Your mother wanted us back right away," she said dryly as she reached them. "But I told her we were still at Apple and would be another half hour." Glancing to the store behind them, she smiled and added, "Which wasn't a lie. We are still at the Apple store. Or at least in front of it."

  "So why are we going to be another half an hour?" Alex asked.

  "I thought since we're in the neighborhood, I'd take you all to my favorite restaurant for burgers and the most amazing shakes ever."

  "Sounds good," Wyatt said.

  "It does," Elspeth agreed and then arched her eyebrows and asked with amusement, "Trying to delay going back to my apartment?"

  "No. Your apartment is fine. In fact, I'd be happy to see it. I was hoping to delay having to deal with your mother," Sam admitted bluntly.

  "Hmm," Elspeth smiled crookedly. "And here Mortimer told me you weren't afraid of anyone."

  "He's right," Sam assured her. "I'm not afraid, but that doesn't mean I'm looking forward to it."

  "So? Milkshakes?" Alex asked.

  "And burgers," Wyatt added. "El didn't have anything to eat when she got up."

  Elspeth glanced at him with surprise. "How did you know?"

  "You crept out of your bedroom and climbed down off the balcony," he pointed out, ushering her toward the SUV. "I hardly think you made a quick trip to the kitchen first if you wanted your mother to think you were still sleeping."

  "No," she admitted. "You're right. I didn't have anything to eat."

  "Wait a minute," Alex sai
d, drawing them all to a halt as they were about to get in the SUV. Once they'd all turned to peer at where she stood by the back of the vehicle, she asked Elspeth, "Does that mean you didn't have anything to drink either?"

  The way she emphasized the word "drink," told Elspeth that Alex meant blood. It also drew Elspeth's attention to the mild cramping she was experiencing and had been trying to ignore. Grimacing, she shrugged and simply said, "I can wait till we get back to the apartment."

  "Oh, hells, no," Alex said at once, and opened the back of the SUV. "Why would you when there's no need?"

  Eyebrows rising, Elspeth moved to join her, aware that Wyatt was following.

  "Hide them under your coat until you get back in the SUV," Alex said, handing her two bags. "I'll bring the other two."

  "Thanks." Elspeth tucked both bags inside her jacket, and turned to move around to the back door on the driver's side. Wyatt opened it for her, closed it and then walked around to get in the other side as Alex slid into the front passenger seat and passed two more bags back to her.

  "Suck 'em back," Alex said lightly before turning to put on her seat belt.

  Nodding, Elspeth slapped the first bag to her fangs. Holding it in place, she then tried to do up her seat belt one-handed. A difficult task, so she was grateful when Wyatt brushed her hand out of the way. At least, she was until he bent his head and leaned in to take over the task for her. His nearness and his hands moving against her waist as he worked the seat belt were more than a little unsettling, and she stared down at the top of his head as her body responded to both.

  Once done with the task Wyatt sat back and watched her solemnly and then suddenly asked, "So is our being life mates the reason my body responds the way it does to touching you in even the most casual way? I mean I've never got a semi boner just helping a woman with her seat belt before."

  Elspeth found her gaze dropping automatically to his lap and felt herself flush when she saw the expanding bulge there. She wasn't sure if that was the reason for the heat that suddenly filled her cheeks, or his bluntness. The man certainly didn't seem to be shy about discussing this stuff. Although, he had kept his voice low, probably in an effort to keep this conversation between them. He failed miserably, of course. Immortals' hearing was as advanced as the rest of their skills and abilities and Elspeth noticed the way Alex turned around to peer at the man wide-eyed.

  With the bag at her mouth still a quarter full, all Elspeth could do to answer was nod, silently. But Sam decided to help her out. Or perhaps she did so to let Wyatt know they could hear him no matter how low he pitched his voice. "Life mates are very," she hesitated and then finished, "responsive to each other."

  "Life mates are horny dogs around each other," Alex countered, her voice full of dry amusement. "Horny dogs in heat. They can't resist each other. They can try, but in the end, if they don't deal with their attraction and the needs it stirs in them, they can lose it and go at each other at the most inopportune times and in the most unfortunate places." Grimacing, she added, "Actually, even after they give in to it, they can lose it at the most inopportune times and in the most unfortunate places."

  "Yeah, like you and Cale in the restaurant kitchen when you had Thanksgiving dinner for the family there, the first year you and Cale were together," Sam said with a grin. Glancing in the rearview mirror at Wyatt and Elspeth, she added, "Dinner was delayed until they regained consciousness and we could fetch the food. Of course, it was a dried-out mess by then."

  "Christmas at Nicholas and Jo's was no better thanks to you and Mortimer," Alex countered. Turning sideways in the front seat as far as her seat belt would allow, she told them, "Jo asked Mortimer to carry the turkey out, and gave Sam the potatoes. I followed a couple of minutes later with the gravy, but stopped when I saw what they'd got up to and backed up into the kitchen to wait."

  "That was Mortimer's fault," Sam said in self-defense. "I put the potatoes on the table, turned to leave and he was there. He gave me a kiss, and . . . Honestly, I think he meant it to be just a quick peck, but it's never just a quick peck with new life mates," Sam said on a sigh.

  "No, it's not," Alex agreed, and then burst out laughing, before adding, "I wasn't too worried at first. I thought, so okay, dinner's going to be a little late and cold. Right?" she asked and when Elspeth and Wyatt nodded, wide-eyed, she continued, "But, no! We ended up having to order in because it wound up all over the floor when the table broke under Sam and Mortimer's weight. Or perhaps the activity was just too vigorous, but whatever the case, it just collapsed with a crash."

  "I was washing cranberry sauce and mashed potato out of my hair for days after that," Sam said with a grimace, and then pointed out, "But at least we didn't end up with fourth stage frostbite like Jo and Nicholas did after that New Year party Marguerite held."

  "Oh, God! The New Year party," Alex said with a groan. "That was a bloody mess."

  Wide-eyed, Elspeth ripped the empty bag from her mouth and asked, "What happened at New Year?"

  "Marguerite had a big party for everyone on New Year a couple years back," Sam explained. "There were dozens of us there. Too many to sit at a table, so she had a buffet so we could grab a plate, fill it up and eat while we circulated. It was really nice, actually, getting to see everyone and visit."

  "Yeah," Alex grinned. "And then midnight struck."

  "What happened at midnight?" Wyatt asked with curiosity when she paused briefly.

  "All the couples gave each other their New Year kisses," she said dryly. "We have a lot of new life mate couples recently. Marguerite's been acing it in that department. Well, the minute they kissed . . ." She shook her head. "Marguerite has a lot of rooms in her house, but not that many."

  "I swear every closet, bathroom, and just room, period, in that house had an unconscious couple in it fifteen minutes after midnight," Sam said with something like awe.

  "Yeah, but there were also others who couldn't find rooms and took it outside," Alex said with a grimace. "They passed out in the snow and woke up later with frostbite and whatnot. Jo and Nicholas were among them and would have lost their toes and fingers at least if they were mortal."

  Wyatt's eyes narrowed. "So it's normal for life mates to pass out after sex?"

  Something about the way he phrased the question made Elspeth glance to him with a frown. It sounded almost like he had experience of that and had thought that passing out was something unusual. But they hadn't had sex yet. Her gaze slid to Alex and she noted that the other woman was peering at Wyatt with concentration, and surprise. She was obviously reading his mind, but whatever she was reading was apparently unexpected.

  Elspeth was about to ask what that was, when Sam announced, "Here we are. The finest diner in the GTA."

  "What's the GTA?" Wyatt asked, glancing out at the restaurant Sam was parking in front of.

  "Greater Toronto Area," Alex explained, and then glanced to Elspeth and scowled. "You've only had one bag of blood."

  "Oh." She peered down at the three bags she still held and grimaced. She'd got distracted with the tales of life mate hijinks.

  "Suck 'em back now before we go in," Alex ordered.

  "Wait!" Sam interrupted as Elspeth started to raise another bag. "Tell me what you want first and I'll go in, get us a table and order while you finish up out here. We only have a half hour. I don't want Martine bothering Mortimer again because we're late."

  Elspeth asked for a cheeseburger, fries and a chocolate shake before popping the bag to her mouth. Sam then took Alex and Wyatt's orders before slipping out of the SUV.

  Alex asked Wyatt questions about British Columbia while they waited for Elspeth to get through the three bags of blood, and then the trio exited the car to join Sam in the restaurant. The food was just being delivered as they arrived, and as Sam had claimed it was really good, and yes, the shakes were amazing. Sam had ordered dessert for everyone as well, but all but Wyatt were too full to eat it, so they had theirs boxed up while Wyatt devoured his, and then he order
ed one to go too before they paid and left.

  "Here we go," Sam said grimly as she started the SUV engine. "Time to meet momma bear."

  Nine

  "No. The girls and I are staying right here." Martine's voice and eyes dripped ice as she peered down her nose at Sam. "You, Wyatt, and Alex can stay in the basement apartment."

  Sam opened her mouth to respond, but Elspeth stepped up next to her and intervened. "That's fine, Mother. The basement apartment has two bedrooms too, and is newly furnished thanks to Mortimer. I'll stay down there with them."

  "You will not," Martine said firmly. "You'll stay right here with us."

  "I . . . will stay right here with you," she agreed, her anger slipping away. In fact, she suddenly couldn't remember what she'd been upset about . . . or why Sam, Alex, and Wyatt were all narrowing their eyes on her, their expressions turning grim.

  "That's fine," Sam said after a moment, her voice cheerful. Pulling her overlarge purse around in front of her, she dragged out a stack of papers stapled together. It looked like a contract. "You just need to sign this release form and we'll get out of your hair."

  "What? Release of what?" Martine asked, her eyes narrowing.

  "It's just a form stating that you've refused protection for Elspeth and release us from any liability when she's killed," Sam explained pleasantly. "Just sign here on the bottom line and--"

  "I'm not signing that," Martine said with dismay. "And I'm not refusing protection. I want you to guard her. Just not from here. She's fine here. Go down and stay in the basement apartment and you can guard her when we leave the apart--"

  "Now, Martine," Sam interrupted gently. "Either we're guarding her or we're not, and you know we can't guard her from two floors away. If you insist on staying here and making us leave, then you are essentially refusing her protection." Holding out the papers, she said, "So, just sign this form acknowledging responsibility for her life, and refusal of our help, to ensure there can be no problem with the Council when Elspeth is killed."

  "Did Elspeth say there were two bedrooms downstairs?" Julianna asked, pushing the kitchen door open to peer in at them.

  Obviously, she'd been listening from the living room, but that was no surprise, Elspeth thought.