“What are you doing on your feet?” Alexis said. Alexis had found Katie pouring herself a drink from the fridge. As soon as she said the words, she knew they were said too harshly, like the way the old Alexis used to talk, and judging by Katie’s scowl, her words hadn’t gone over well. “I’m sorry if that sounded harsh. I simply meant that you should ask me for what you want. That way you can rest.”

“I can get a glass of juice. Besides, I’m feeling a lot better, a lot stronger.”

“As you wish, but come and sit on the couch, so I can change your dressing. Dr. McKenzie said I had to change it once a day.”

Katie took Alexis’s arm and walked back to the couch. Alexis had a first aid kit and put it on the coffee table, then kneeled in front of Katie.

Katie reached out and touched her mouth. Alexis caught her breath. Why was Katie caressing her? Katie gazed deeply into her eyes, and Alexis’s mouth went dry. No enemy she had ever come up against had ever been able to disarm her the way this human did.

Then Katie’s eyes narrowed and she held up her finger with a spot of blood on it. “You missed a bit.”

Instead of licking it off Katie’s finger, which was what Alexis wanted to do, she took a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped it away. She had drunk some blood from the bottled supply she brought with her.

“You don’t have to look so terrified when I touch you,” Katie said with annoyance.

“I wasn’t. I was simply—”

Katie sighed. “You were. Anyway, how are you feeding while you’re here?”

Alexis opened up the first aid box. “Bottled, and some blood bags in the fridge.”

“You can’t be satisfied on bottled alone. Byron has Amelia, and I could feed you.”

“No way,” Alexis said, “you’re recovering from a physical and mental trauma. I’m not taking blood from you.”

Katie couldn’t help but feel a little hurt. “I forgot—you don’t like my blood.”

“Of course it’s not that. I’m trying to do the right thing here. Can you let me?”

“You never will answer that question, will you?” Katie asked.

Alexis took out the bandages and said nothing. Alexis got the alcohol wipes ready to clean the wound and began to reach for the bandage around Katie’s neck, then hesitated.

“I have to take off your old bandage. May I?”

Katie didn’t know whether she was coming or going with Alexis’s behaviour. One moment she was barking an order at her, the next falling over herself to take care of her, not to mention being terrified when Katie touched her.