Ursula's heartbeat instantly doubled. She knew it had been close. She knew she'd let the leech take more than other vampires had before him, but it had been the only way to drug him. However, she couldn't tell these two any of this.

"Thank you for saving my life, Dr. Giles."

"I'm glad I wasn't far. Now tell me, what do you remember?"

Ursula threw a cautious look in Oliver's direction, noticing how he parted his lips, as if wanting to say something. For effect, she pressed her palm against her temple. "I don't know. I was walking home after an evening cla.s.s . . . "

"In the Bayview? There are no cla.s.ses out there," Oliver protested. He leaned in.

"What Bayview?" she interrupted.

"The Bayview district of San Francisco. It's a bad area."

So that was where she was, in San Francisco. So many miles from home. At the other side of the continent.

"I don't remember how I got there." She allowed the tears that she'd suppressed for three years to well up in her eyes, lending credibility to her lies. "I can't remember anything, don't you understand?"

She caught how Dr. Giles shot Oliver a displeased look.

"But, that's impossible!" he objected once more. This time he reached for her, putting his hand on her forearm. "You must remember. You asked me to help you." His eyes bored into her, their blue brilliant in its intensity.

For a moment she wanted to move toward him, a.s.sure him that he was right, that she remembered every second of their encounter: the way his arms had held her, the way his lips had pressed against hers. Their kiss. The fleeting feeling of safety and the desire that lay beneath.

"Let her be, Oliver. Can't you see that she's in shock?" the doctor scolded him and tore his hand from her arm.

Oddly enough the spot now felt cold in comparison, his body heat having left her. Not wanting him to say anything else on the subject, Ursula asked a question of her own, "Who are you? Why didn't you bring me to a hospital?"

Oliver and the doctor exchanged an odd look. She noticed how his Adam's Apple bobbed, before he turned his face back to her.

"As I said, I thought it better if . . . " His voice trailed off.

"I was closer than the nearest hospital," the doctor continued in his stead. "And time was of the essence."

While Ursula believed that time had indeed been of the essence, she wasn't convinced that it had been easier to bring her to a private home. "So this is your house?"

Dr. Giles shook her head. "No, it's Oliver's."

"Yours?"

"Actually, my, uh . . . parents' house." He looked almost embarra.s.sed about his admission.

"I live only a few blocks away," the doctor continued. "Oliver did the right thing to bring you here."

Ursula looked at her arm and noticed the bandage that was wrapped around it where her skin had met with a metal rod from the fire escape and lost the uneven battle. It was true, the doctor had patched her up. She also felt better, not as woozy, and stronger too. In a hospital they couldn't have done any better either. She was well enough to leave.

"I thank you very much for helping me."

She swung her legs off the couch and pushed the pillow and the blanket off her lap, then pulled herself up. Instantly she swayed. Oliver jumped up from his crouching position and caught her just as her knees buckled.

"Got you."

His muscular arms reached around her, holding her up, reminding her of their earlier embrace. Heat suffused her cheeks, because a desire to rub herself against him to find release overwhelmed her even now in the weakened state she found herself in.

"Woah, woah," Maya called out. "I said I took care of your injuries, but that doesn't mean you're fit to get up yet. You're still too weak."

"I'm fine, I just need a moment." She pushed against Oliver, but he didn't release her. Instead he held her even tighter. Their gazes collided.

"Don't you remember what you said to me?" he whispered. "Not even what you did then?"

She knew he was alluding to her offer and her kiss, but as much as she wanted to admit the truth, she couldn't, because it would also mean admitting that she was running from somebody, and to explain why she had two puncture wounds on her neck. Anybody who'd ever watched a Dracula movie would know what this meant. All she could do was to deny she knew anything about it, so she could leave and return home. Home. See her parents. Feel safe again.

"I need to call my parents. I need to talk to them."

The doctor moved closer and addressed Oliver, "Let her sit down again." Then the doctor smiled at her. "You'll need to rest a bit first. You can talk to your parents a little later. First, I'd like to ask you a few more things."

Somewhat reluctantly, Oliver helped her sit down on the sofa. When she felt the soft cushions support her back, she let out a breath of relief. One more second in his arms, and she would have started panting. It was clear that the s.e.xual arousal the vampire's bite had caused in her, had still not left her body. Even after what must have been an hour or even two after being bitten by the leech, she still felt the need to touch and be touched.

"You said you were walking home from a cla.s.s. Where was the cla.s.s?" Maya asked.

Frantically, Ursula scrambled for an answer. She knew nothing about San Francisco. But every large city had to have a college. Holding her breath, she answered, "The community college."

"Out in Sunnyside? That's far from the Bayview."

Ursula shrugged.

"Do you know how you got there?"

"I told you, I don't remember. It's like my memory was wiped clean." She looked away, wanting to avoid her scrutinizing look.

"Fine, I believe you. It must be the shock. It's not uncommon."

Relieved Ursula lifted her head and caught how the doctor's eyes narrowed as she looked at Oliver. His jaw set as if he was clamping it down tightly, and he glared back at Maya. It appeared as if a silent battle was raging between them.

Then the doctor turned her head back to her and pasted on a smile. "Why don't you rest for a little while?" She s.n.a.t.c.hed the blanket from where Ursula had dropped it earlier. "Here. You'll probably be a little cold, but that's normal after the blood loss."

To her surprise Oliver reached took the blanket from Dr. Giles' hand and spread it over Ursula's legs. Then he gave her a sad smile almost as if he had a difficult ch.o.r.e ahead of him.

"Oliver, a word," Dr. Giles said.

He looked up at the doctor, then back at her. "You'll be safe here."

She quickly lowered her lashes. Had he realized that she hadn't really lost her memory? Did he know she was lying and wanted to tell her that the people who were chasing her would never find her here? Or were his words of rea.s.surance simply a casually thrown away sentence?

8.

Deep in thought, Oliver stepped into the library across the hall. Why was the girl lying? Why didn't she admit what had happened? Was she too embarra.s.sed about her wanton behavior that she'd decided to pretend it had never happened? As if she were afraid that he would collect on her promise of a night of s.e.x if she admitted that she'd made it. Was that why she pretended to not remember a thing? It was the only thing that made sense. Maybe he could somehow explain to her that he wouldn't force her to do anything she didn't wanted to do, if only she would tell the truth.

When Maya entered the room behind him, he knew she was p.i.s.sed. If the glare on her face weren't an indication for it, then the way she now stood, her legs in a wide stance, her hands placed at her hips, left no doubt.

"Of all the despicable things you could do, you had to attack a young girl and leave her at death's door?" The words spewed from her mouth like a fountain of poison. "You really think I'm stupid?"

Oliver took a step toward her, squaring his shoulders. "That's not true! I didn't do it!"

"Bulls.h.i.t! Your handwriting is all over it."

He narrowed his eyes, getting angrier by the second. He'd done awful things in the two months since he'd been a vampire, but he hadn't done anything to that girl. "I never touched her! I saved her from another vampire!"

"Give it up, Oliver! Why do you continue lying when we both know what the truth is? You nearly drained her and then you wiped her memory so she wouldn't remember you."

"I didn't wipe her memory! She's lying. She remembers what happened!"

Maya shook her head, disbelief in her gaze. "She doesn't remember anything! You made sure of it to cover your tracks!"

He balled his hands into fists. "If I really wanted to cover my tracks, why the h.e.l.l would I bring her here then? Tell me that, huh, why? And why would I call you for help?"

She contemplated his question only for a split-second. "Because you felt remorse afterwards. It's always like that with you. Haven't you noticed that? You go on a binge, and afterwards you feel like c.r.a.p because of what you've done. It's not any different now."

"You have no idea how I feel! You've never been through what I'm going through."

Maya narrowed her eyes and went toe-to-toe with him. "What are you insinuating?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

"No, tell me," she challenged.

"You never craved human blood. You have no idea what it's like. All you wanted was Gabriel's blood."

"And that makes you think I never went through what you're going through now? That I never had those cravings? Grow up! We all have the same cravings, no matter whose blood it is we want. Your cravings aren't any worse than anybody else's. But you choose to act on them. You choose to show no restraint!"

At the accusation, Oliver pressed his lips together. His chest heaved, and he felt the cords in his neck bulge. "How dare you accuse me of willfully acting the way I do?"

"Oh, I dare a lot more!" She pointed her finger toward the door. "I also dare accuse you of attacking this girl and leaving her half dead! Is that how you want to live? Always a step away from killing an innocent?"

Her words chilled him to the bone. Often enough he'd been close to doing just that, but tonight, Maya was wrong. Tonight, he'd rescued an innocent. "I didn't bite her! Do you want to know what happened? Do you? Or will that shake your preconceived opinion of me?"

"Go ahead! Dish up some more lies if it makes you feel better."

"They're not lies! I don't know why the girl isn't telling you what happened, but I can venture a guess. She hasn't lost her memory. She just doesn't want to admit what happened."

Maya raised her eyebrows, then crossed her arms over her chest. "Admit what?"

He had to say it, as much as he wanted to keep this piece of information to himself. "That she offered me s.e.x in exchange for helping her. Shea""

Maya's laughter interrupted him. "Oh my G.o.d! I can't believe you couldn't come up with a better excuse. What is it? Has the blood gone to your head and made you dizzy? No girl like her would offer you s.e.x in exchange for help. She's not a prost.i.tute. Have you lost your mind?"

"She did! She offered me s.e.x if I helped her and then she kissed me. And when she collapsed in my arms, I saw the bite marks of the other vampire. That's when I brought her here."

"She kissed you? Stop Oliver, you're just digging yourself deeper and deeper into a hole."

"But it's true! You must believe me! She was running from somebody. She begged me to help her."

Maya let out a sigh, seemingly exhausted. "It's me, Maya. You don't have to continue making stuff up. Just tell me what really happened and I'll try to put a good word in with Gabriel and Samson."

"I'm not lying! It's the truth. I didn't bite her!"

She scowled at him. "Fine. Play it your way. Continue lying, but it'll make it only worse. If you at least showed remorse for your actions, I could convince Gabriel and Samson to be lenient with you, but since you've decided to be a hard-a.s.s about it, don't expect to be treated with kid gloves."

In disbelief Oliver shook his head. This couldn't be happening. He would be taken to task for something he hadn't done. "That's not fair! I'm innocent!"

Maya rolled her eyes. "Innocent? There's nothing innocent about you. The only innocent in this house is that girl in the next room. And you've robbed her of that innocence. You should at least have the decency to admit your guilt like a man."

Oliver closed his eyes. He knew it had been a mistake to help the girl. He should have followed his first instinct and turned around the minute she'd approached him. But no, knight in shining armor that he fancied himself, he'd wanted to help her.

Liar.

He cringed. Okay, so he'd only decided to help her after she'd made her outrageous offer of s.e.x. Not that he would have ever held her to it anyway! It didn't matter: he'd gotten involved, and now he was in a h.e.l.l lot of trouble and as long as the girl didn't admit the truth, it was his word against hers.

The evidence was d.a.m.ning: bite marks on the girl's neck and ma.s.sive blood loss. Maybe if he could talk to the girl and a.s.sure her that he wouldn't collect on her promise, maybe then she would tell Maya what really happened.

He had to try it.

"I'll talk to her again. Alone." He made a step toward the door.

"Not a chance," Maya objected instantly and blocked the door. "Do you think I don't know what you're trying to do?"

"Do what?" he ground out and ran his hand through his hair.

"You're going to try and influence her, using mind control."

Oliver narrowed his eyes. "Maybe you wanna get your facts straight for a change: as Thomas will be able to confirm, I haven't quite mastered the art of mind control yet."

In fact, he was having problems with it and a.s.sumed that his problems with being able to control his hunger for blood had something to do with it. They robbed him of the energy necessary to exercise mind control and being able to plant fake memories into his victims' minds. He was, however, fully capable of erasing a person's memory. It was a skill that required less finesse and was more instinctual than the art of mind control, even though the two skills were related.

Thomas, Scanguards' IT genius and master of mind control, was tutoring him to help him over his issues. He was making progress, but he was nowhere near mastering the skill. At best, he succeeded only fifty percent of the time.

"Still, you're nota""

"d.a.m.n it, Maya!" he flared up. "What do you want from me? You've already made up your mind about my guilt, and now you won't even allow me to talk to the only witness who can confirm my innocence. Even in a court of law I'd have a better chance than with you!"

And he'd seen the inside of more than one courtroom. In his days as a human, before Samson, the owner of Scanguards, had taken him under his wing, he'd been in and out of jail for possession of drugs and other offenses. He'd never committed any violent crimes, but he knew if Samson hadn't come along and taken pity on him, he would have gone down that road. The crowd he was running with was on that path already.