Page 56 of Once Bitten, Twice Mine

“And pray tell, what are your findings?” Valeria asked, closing her book.

There was still some anger in her gaze, but Valeria’s attention was so all-encompassing that she couldn’t help the heat that slowly crept through her as she remembered what it was like having that attention solely fixed on her.

She cleared her throat. “It was inconclusive.”

“Perhaps because there is nothing to find.”

Caroline shrugged. Her words didn’t bother her because she was sure of the truth. It was in the way Valeria never denied it. Sure, she would tell her that it was all in her head all day, but she wouldn’t actually say that she wasn’t a vampire.

Which led her to her current plan. Which was the maddest thing she had ever even thought to do, but she was in too deep to turn back now.

Before she could think better of it, Caroline removed her sewing shears from her pocket. She pressed the blade against her chest—approximately where the bite marks were on Valeria’s victims—and pressed until she felt a sharp pain and ruby red droplets trickled down her chest.

“What are you doing?” Valeria screeched, throwing herself across the room with a speed unlike anything she had ever seen. “Have you lost your fucking mind?’

Her heart pounded, and her knees trembled as a fear unlike any she had ever felt coursed through her veins. Unquestionably, she was taunting a predator, but more than that, she was right. “I knew you were a vampire.”

Valeria’s eyes flashed black for a moment before she took a deep breath and they were back to their beautiful chocolate brown. “Fine, I’m a vampire. Now will you stop stabbing yourself?”

“I didn’t stab myself; it’s just a prick.” She removed her handkerchief from her pocket and held it to the wound. “Truthfully, I wasn’t sure I would make it this far. I thought you might have pounced and drained me.”

“That’s still a very real possibility.”

The primal fear running through her hadn’t dissipated, but she was fairly certain Valeria wouldn’t hurt her. She had ample opportunities to bite her. To drain her of her blood. Even right now it would be so simple for her to come over and lick her blood, but she still held herself back.

“I think I’m safe with you. Even though you wouldn’t just tell me the truth.”

“And what are you going to do with this information? Are you going to kill me with the rising sun?”

Caroline blinked. She hadn’t thought that far. Her plan only went to Valeria finally admitting she was a vampire, and now that her objective was met, she didn’t know what to do.

She should tell Dr. Murnau, but that felt like a betrayal.

“What do you want me to do?”

The intensity in Valeria’s gaze morphed to weariness. “Give me the day. We can speak this evening. I already feel dawn drawing near.”

Daytime would incapacitate her. No one would get hurt, and she would make sure she was here before the sun set so she couldn’t sneak away. It would also give her time to plan what to do next.

“Fine, but I’m not leaving until dawn breaks.”

Valeria huffed and muttered something in Italian that Caroline imagined was less than flattering, but she plugged her nose and got back into bed without draining her, so she saw it as a win. It wasn’t long after that Valeria fell into her stony sleep. She wasn’t sure if it was insanity or stupidity, but she wished she could crawl beneath the covers and hold her until sunset.

* * *

She was running off maybe two hours of sleep and many, many cups of coffee, but her energy felt boundless as she walked through the hospital ward where there were no new patients, just the two who were there the previous day, and they both looked to be doing better.

Dr. Murnau sat in a chair at the end of the ward, resting his eyes, but he also looked better. His trousers were clean, and a comb had been run through his hair.

“Good morning.”

Her voice was likely too cheerful considering they were still in the throes of an emergency, but for the first time their problems felt solvable. The unknown evil was now known, but she decided against telling Dr. Murnau. Not yet. She would give Valeria a chance to explain herself first.

Murnau opened his eyes; the bags were still there, but not nearly as dark as the day before. “Good Morning, Miss Blythe.”

“I’m pleased to see there aren’t any new patients.”

“No, but that doesn’t mean blood wasn’t spilled overnight.”