Aiden groaned.
"Yeah, what can Uncle Colton start buying?" Colton asked laughing with Ben.
"Y'all are bad." Meryn laughed at Aiden's expression before turning to her squire. "Ryuu, I'm thirsty. Do we have anything besides scotch?"
Ryuu nodded. "I'll get some juice, it will be just a moment," he said placing a large serving tray down on one of the tables.
"I'll get it Ryuu," Elizabeth said standing. When she got to her feet the entire room tilted. Her vision became dim and spots appeared. In the background she heard Meryn's scream, but couldn't figure out what had upset her.
She heard a crash and felt a sharp pain in her side.
"Bunny!" Meryn cried out.
She blinked up and rolled her head to trying to look up. She couldn't seem to focus. Above her she heard a low growl. Gavriel was crouched over her body, swiping at the hands that appeared at the edges of her vision.
"Dammit, Gavriel, move! She's going to bleed out!" Adam yelled.
"Gavriel your mate needs help," Aiden said evenly trying to get his second in command to focus.
She blinked up at the men and met Colton's eyes. She blinked again and his frown deepened.
She watched as he walked over to Ryuu. "As soon as we're in the clear shock him, don't worry about me," he said.
Gavriel leaned down and licked her side as if trying to close her wound. She looked down and saw a large piece of glass from the coffee table sticking out of her side. She let her head fall back and she closed her eyes.
"Bunny! No!"
She could hear Meryn crying. She wanted to tell her that she really should calm down, she had a baby to worry about, but couldn't get her mouth to move. She opened her eyes and watched as Colton took a deep breath and with a running start tackled Gavriel moving him away from where she lay.
Gavriel hissed and attacked Colton furiously. He clawed desperately trying to get back to her. Ryuu was at their side in seconds. He reached down and grabbed Gavriel by the wrist. Blue flame erupted and covered both Gavriel and Colton. The flames brightened and both men stiffened and yelled out before slumping down against each other, unconscious.
"Hey there, sweetheart. You weren't kidding when you said we would become friends were you?" Adam asked as his gentle hands pulled back the fabric of her shirt.
"Gavriel?" she whispered.
Ryuu walked over, concern on his face. "Out for now. He'll wake up soon, hopefully more coherent than he was a moment ago."
"It doesn't hurt," she said to Meryn, who had tears streaming down her cheeks. Adelaide had one arm wrapped around her daughter and Marius stood behind the both of them protectively.
Meryn sniffed and swallowed. "That means it's bad. When it doesn't hurt that means it's so bad your brain is shutting it out."
Adam smiled. "Nothing we can't handle. Gentleman some help?"
She closed her eyes as she was lifted onto a blanket.
"Don't let him blame himself," she whispered.
"Let's just concentrate on you right now," Adam said. "Okay men, as evenly and as gently as you can, let's head to the car."
When her vision began to get dimmer and dimmer she smiled.
"Good," she whispered and gave in to the darkness.
*****
"I don't understand, she's a shifter, she should have started healing by now." Elizabeth woke to Adam's frustrated voice. Exhausted she kept her eyes closed and listened.
"What do you mean?" she heard her mate ask. She felt relieved that he sounded okay and was close by.
"There's a bruise on her temple that is still healing. As shifters we either heal or we don't. This looks like she's healing human slow," Adam explained.
"Is she sick? She's been complaining of being tired," Gavriel said.
"These bites, how fresh are they?"
"Those are from last night."
"How often have you been feeding?" Adam asked.
"Once maybe twice a day since she's arrived. Last night I lost control and she lost more than usual," her mate admitted.
Adam made that 'hmmm' sound that every medical healer she had ever been to did. "I'll run some tests to be sure, but I'd say that the reason why she isn't healing is because she's extremely anemic. That glass in her side tonight wouldn't have helped."
"This is my fault," Gavriel whispered.
"Let me ask you something. Why feed from her so much? I've been sending more than three times the normal transition level blood requirements to the estate."
"Her blood helped more than the other blood combined."
Adam made another 'hmmm' sound. "Interesting."
"I'll stop feeding from her."
Elizabeth turned in her bed and opened her eyes. Both men looked over at her and immediately came to her side. Adam took her wrist between his fingers and looked at his watch.
Gavriel ran a gentle hand over her hair. "I am so sorry, my love," his voice was strained.
"My blood helps. I heard you speaking with Colton when you hurt your head. My blood restores your speed and strength that keeps you safe." She wanted to reach up and touch his face but her hand felt too heavy.
"It is my duty, no, my privilege to protect you and all this time you have been protecting me." Gavriel closed his eyes as if he were in pain.
Adam lay her wrist back down. "Elizabeth, can you think of any reason why your blood would be affecting Gavriel differently than the blood donated here in Lycaonia?" he asked.