Page 40 of Bite at First Sight

Clayton pressed the tip of the dagger to her chin. “Do not make me force you.”

Just as the point of his blade drew a bead of crimson, Lenore complied, revulsion twisting her delicate features. The disgust quickly turned to reluctant pleasure as William’s blood flowed into her mouth. Greedily, she drank, taking in the sustenance she needed to heal her wounds.

The moment she finished feeding, Lenore lifted her head to stare at them both with such hatred that William staggered back.

“What you are doing is wrong and unworthy of a lord.” She pointed at Clayton, fingers twisted in the age-old gesture of a curse. “For this you will pay. Justice will be served and your bodiless head will roll in the dirt.”

Unease prickled Clayton’s body.

Thankfully, the opium in William’s blood took effect and Lenore slumped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Rafe stomped up the stairs to Cassandra’s laboratory. His arm continued to twitch, sending alternating needles of pain and numbness through his muscles. Clayton had noticed the spasms, and it was all Rafe could do not to send his healing fist crashing into his second-in-command’s smirking face.

The only thing that held him back was the incontrovertible instinct to keep his healing secret until he was whole and strong again. Anthony agreed completely, especially in light of the suspicious circumstances of Lenore’s disappearance.

When Rafe entered the laboratory, Cassandra’s gaze seemed more welcoming than analytical. A twinge of surprise tugged his chest at how happy he was to see her.

“Did you find the missing vampire?” she asked with genuine concern.

He shook his head and slumped down in the chair opposite hers by the fire. He lit a cigar and felt an unfamiliar pang of gratitude when she did not complain. “We searched the entire city. Lenore was nowhere to be found.”

He blew out a cloud of smoke with a sigh. The situation was much worse than that. The marks and gouges in the grass near Lenore’s resting place, as well as the report from one of her neighbors that rogues had been spotted in the area, indicated that she had been taken. As it would be difficult for a rogue to hide in his city with all the patrols he assigned, Rafe had to face the near certainty that Lenore was no longer in London. Even worse was the likelihood of the bastards returning and abducting more of his people.

“I need my arm back. You must perform another surgery. Anthony is willing.”

“No.”

The cool defiance of her tone made him blink. “What did you say?”

Cassandra lifted her chin and placed her hands on her hips. “I said no.” Looking like the goddess Athena about to deliver a divine edict, she continued. “Your muscle spasms are far too severe to risk surgery tonight. I do not want to take the chance of cutting the wrong tendon and hindering our progress. However, there are other treatments that I would like to try.”

As much as he wanted to argue, her logic was infallible. At least she offered an alternative. “Very well. When may we begin?”

“R-right now, if you’d care to put out your cigar.” Her hand shook as she held out a small silver tray she’d taken from his study.

Rafe raised a brow as he extinguished the cigar. “Do these new treatments involve you poking or prodding me?”

“Not at all.” She held out her hands to show that she held no instruments. Instead she held out a pipe. “Would you please smoke this?”

He took the pipe and frowned at the pungent green substance stuffed into the bowl. “This isn’t tobacco.”

“It is cannabis. The herb is used for treating headaches, sore eyes, and most importantly, muscle spasms.”

“And I am to smoke it?”

She nodded. “It could also be eaten or brewed into a tea, but with your unique digestion, I felt that this was the most efficient method of administration.”

Rafe shrugged and lit a match. “Well, you are the doctor.”

Praying that this “treatment” wouldn’t make him ill, he lit the plant and sucked on the pipe. The taste was unfamiliar though not unpleasant. It was much harder than inhaling tobacco and made him cough when he exhaled. However, he felt an immediate sensation of being lighter, as if an invisible weight had been lifted from the top of his skull.

The second draw went easier as Rafe held the smoke in his lungs and exhaled slowly. The damned herb would not remain lit. He cursed as the match nearly burned his fingers before he lit another. By the time the cannabis was reduced to an oily lump of black ash, his muscles had become pleasantly heavy and relaxed.

“How do you feel?” Cassandra’s voice came from far away, like a whisper from heaven.

“Quite good, actually.” His voice sounded as surprised as he felt. His foul mood had completely abated. “I hope your next treatment is as pleasant.”

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