with her gentle, caring demeanor. Gabrielle was sweet as well, a ginger- haired beauty who seemed wise beyond her years. And then there was pretty, quiet Tess, who'd taken care of Elise as compassionately as she might her own kin.
Elise felt humbled before them all. Having been raised in the Darkhavens, where the warriors of the Order were considered at best to be an antiquated, dangerous faction within the vampire race--at worst, a deadly gang exercising vigilante justice--it was surprising to meet the intelligent, kind women who'd taken members of the Order as their mates. She couldn't see any one of these women binding herself to anything less than a male of honor and integrity. They were too smart for that, too confident in themselves.
Surprisingly, they seemed so pleasant and warm, not unlike the Darkhaven females Elise considered her friends.
Since you're finished here, why don't both of you come with me? Savannah said, breaking into Elise's thoughts. Gabrielle and I just made some sandwiches and a fruit salad. You must be hungry, Elise.
I am...or at least, I should be, she admitted quietly. It had been several hours since she'd eaten and her body felt depleted, in need of nourishment, but the idea of food held little appeal. Everything tasted bland, even the things she used to enjoy when Quentin was alive.
How long has it been for you, Elise? Savannah's tone was cautious, concerned. I've heard that you lost your mate about five years ago...
She knew what the woman was asking, of course. Had she gone so long without blood? In the Darkhavens it would be considered rude to ask questions about another female's blood bond with her mate--even worse to question a widow about whether or not she drew sustenance from another in her mate's absence--but here, among these women, there seemed no reason to hide the truth.
Quentin was killed by a Rogue in the line of duty five years and two months ago. I haven't turned to anyone else for my needs--not any of them. Nor will I.
Five years without Breed blood in you is a long time, Savannah acknowledged. Thankfully she didn't bring up the other implication in Elise's confession: that she hadn't taken another lover in all that time either.
Your body is aging, Tess said, a look of curiosity in her eyes, maybe sadness. If you don't take another male as your mate--
Eventually I will die, Elise answered. Yes, I know. Without Breed blood to sustain me in a state of perfect health, I need to work my muscles and keep fit, just like any other human. And, like any other human, my body will start to progress in years--it already has. In time, like any other human, I will succumb to old age.
Savannah's dark eyes were sympathetic. That doesn't bother you, the thought of dying?
Only when I think that I might go to my grave without having made a difference in this world. That's why I... She glanced down, still finding it difficult to speak about the thing that motivated her to leave the Darkhaven and begin another life. I lost my son four months ago. He got involved with Crimson, and the drug turned him Rogue.
Yes, Savannah said, reaching out to softly touch her shoulder. We heard what happened. And how he died. I'm so sorry.
So am I, Tess added. At least the Crimson lab has been destroyed. Tegan saw to it personally.
Elise's head shot up in surprise. What do you mean, personally?
He razed the place, Tess said. It's all that Nikolai, Kade, and Brock have been talking about since they got back. Evidently Tegan went in by himself and single-handedly shut the operation down before the others had even arrived on scene. Then he burned the building to the ground.
Tegan did that? Elise was astonished. And she was fairly certain he'd implied the Order was responsible for shutting the lab down, not him personally. Why would he let her believe that if he had been the one responsible?
Niko said Tegan came out of that burning warehouse like something out of a nightmare, Tess went on. Then he walked off into the night without any explanation.
And from there he went to her apartment to look in on her, Elise realized now.
Come on, let's talk some more while you eat. Gabrielle's waiting for us in the dining room upstairs.
The three women left the infirmary, Tess's little dog trotting after them, and walked a confusing maze of corridors into the heart of the Order's subterranean compound. They