'What's wrong with Nathaniel?' I asked.

'Elevation sickness, shock, too-rapid change from animal to human form.'

In my head I thought, and I drained him healing myself. Edward was one of the few people with a badge who knew the truth about me and my metaphysical connections, but still ...

'Did Anita drain energy off Nathaniel to heal herself?' Edward asked.

Micah and I looked at him. I'm not sure it was an entirely friendly look. 'I've been around when Anita had to feed the ardeur in an emergency. Since she was hurt and couldn't feed like that, she had to get the energy from somewhere.'

'Logical,' I said.

'Most of the time,' Edward said.

Micah looked at me. I nodded. He turned to Edward. 'It's not as simple as just energy drain, but yes. The combination of everything else that had already happened and then Anita being seriously injured made him pass out.'

'How's Damian?' I asked.

'He's fine, though he fed more than normal last night.'

'Is everyone else fine, too?' I asked, trying to ask without asking if Damian had hurt anyone 'feeding' too much. Damian was a vampire; overfeeding could be really bad for the feedee.

'As far as we know.'

'You couldn't just say yes?'

'I have spent the last twenty-four hours going between three hospital rooms that held the loves of my life and my father; I'm entitled to be a little off my polite game.'

'I'm sorry,' I said.

He smiled. 'It's all right, I'm just glad you're awake.'

'Me, too.'

'I'll get dressed and check on Nathaniel.'

'Kiss me good-bye.'

'I don't have shirt or shoes on yet, Anita. I'm not gone.' He went back to the couch area and started rummaging around in a small overnight bag that I couldn't remember packing. He got an armful of clothes and his toiletry case and went for the bathroom, which was, indeed, the door between the bed and the curtained window. He paused in the lighted door. 'If the doctor offers you some of that hospital Jell-O, say yes. You will need to feed the ardeur, but real food will help you control it. Not everyone who you pull down into that kind of kiss is going to have my self-control.'

I fought not to squirm. 'I wasn't asking for sex.'

He gave me a look.

'I wasn't.' It sounded defensive even to me, which made me want to sulk about it, which let me know that I was lying to myself. I could feel the craving growing inside me. I'd healed beyond my wildest dreams, but it was going to come with a price, eventually. Of course, Nathaniel was down the hallway hooked up to IVs, too. That was a price that had already been paid.

'I'm getting dressed. If she gets too handsy with anyone else, knock on the door,' Micah said.

'I'm not going to just paw at strangers,' I said, sullenly.

He smiled. 'We have more guards here than when you passed out; most of them are willing food for you, and almost none of them have my self-control.'

I started to cross my arms, but the IV made it too hard. I fought not to pout at him. 'I'll be good.'

'You're always good, Anita; just don't do anything you'd be embarrassed to have Edward see.'

'There are police out in the hallway waiting to help spell me at Anita's bedside. Could we all start calling me Ted, just for practice?'

Micah nodded. 'Anita, don't do anything you wouldn't want Ted to see.'

'You've made your point,' I said.

'How about there are other police in the hallway helping watch over your room just like they are dad's. Don't do anything you wouldn't want them to walk in on, or how about my mom, my sister, my brother. They've been checking on you, too.'

I sank back into the pillow, all the fight and sullen suddenly gone. 'You've made your point.'

'Good. I love you,' he said.

'I love you, too.'

He closed the door behind him and the room suddenly seemed even darker than it had been. There was a knock on the door, but it opened without waiting for me to say Come in. I wasn't surprised that it was my doctor. I was a little surprised that he was a vampire and my doctor.

CHAPTER 34

Dr Cross, the vampire, was tall and thin, with dark hair that most people would have called black, but I had my hair and Jean-Claude's to compare it to. The vampire laughed enough to show dainty fangs. 'Yes, I know, a vampire called Dr Cross, it is rather ironic, but I was Dr Cross before I became undead.'

'So just a coincidence?' I said.

He nodded happily, unwound his stethoscope from his neck, and began to listen to my heart. The front bangs were thicker on one side, so they fell forward as he bent over, almost falling into his eyes, but not quite. I had a sudden urge to reach up and smooth his hair back from his face. It wasn't like me to want to touch strangers.

I heard the shower start in my bathroom, which meant Micah was in there all naked and soapy. Joining him seemed like such a good idea.

Dr Cross was over six feet and not as comfortable with his height as most of the people in my life, so he stayed bent over me too much, and his hair spilled forward as he opened the neck of my hospital gown enough to reach in and touch the stethoscope to my chest. He kept his hand down the front of my gown as he glanced back at Edward.

'I'm going to have to look at the wound site, Marshal Forrester; I think a little privacy might be in order.'

'I'm fine,' Edward said, watching us.

'A little privacy would be nice,' I said, frowning at him.

He shook his head. 'I don't think so.'

'I won't eat her, promise,' Dr Cross said with a smile, but his hand was still down my gown, the stethoscope held motionless between my breasts. He should have moved his hand out as soon as he was done, but he hadn't. I wondered if he realized he was doing it. My heartbeat was speeding up. What was happening to me? I had better control than this.