Green - a werewolf story

46. Thieves

When Vanessa came to she was lying on her back on a faux leather couch under a blanket. She tried to sit up, but someone pushed her back to the couch.

"Take it easy, you've been through an ordeal?"

"An ordeal?" Vanessa repeated while she tried to remember what had happened to her to make her end up bloody and unconscious and cared for by a ... vampire?

"Yes," the vampire said with a shiver. "Marriage."

Suddenly Vanessa's memory came back with a vengeance. She tried to sit up again.

"Let me up! I need to see him!"

"He's alright," Xi said, still not releasing her hold on her. "Madame Genevieve is caring for him, look!"

Vanessa turned her head in the direction Xi was pointing and saw Madame Genevieve bent over a couch.

"I should be there with him," Vanessa insisted. "She said she needed me to heal him."

"She did, but you've done all you can do. Now you need to rest. She pulled a fair bit of energy from you to start his healing."

"I thought that the energy came from the babies and I provided the... love," she said and blushed.

"What is love but the purest form of energy? And besides, you didn't look too hot before the handfasting either."

"Please, I need to see him," Vanessa pleaded.

"Madame Genevieve said..."

"I don't care what she said! Carry me if you have to, but I want to see him!"

Xi looked taken aback at her outburst. "You're very rude."

"At least I'm not trying to bodily restrain you," Vanessa snarled and did her best to get up again.

"If Madame Genevieve and her daughter hadn't been such good friends, I would bite you," Xi threatened.

"If you weren't acting like such a bitch, I'd let you," Vanessa snapped.

Xi blinked. Then she threw her head back and roared with laughter.

"It's not funny," Vanessa muttered.

"I can see why St. John was in such a state over you," Xi said. "Don't worry, he's joined Thrall in chasing down our attackers," she added when she saw Vanessa search the room for him.

"Good," she sighed. "Now, let me up!"

"Fine," Xi said and pulled Vanessa from the couch and over her shoulders. "I'll let you see that he's alive."

She carried Vanessa over to where Madame Genevieve was chanting to herself and let her down next to Green's both breathing and human body.

"He looks better," Vanessa said and exhaled for what felt like the first time in hours.

"I told you he would live," Madame Genevieve said and handed her a flask. "Drink this. You need to be strong."

Vanessa accepted the drink and took a big gulp. It burned like fire going down.

"What's in this?"

"It's a healing tonic," Madame Genevieve replied. "Don't touch him!" she added when Vanessa reached out to put her hand on Green's arm.

"Why not?"

"He might look better, but there's still a lot of internal healing for him to complete. His body doesn't need any distractions."

"I'm not a..."

"Xi, please get her back on the couch and find a way to keep her there."

"Fine! I'll go," Vanessa said and marched back to the couch she'd slept on.