She’d been torn between anger at being lectured and amusement. She’d hidden the amusement though, because it would make the lecture worse. He hadn’t even tempered his speech when she told him that she had looked out before she left the building.
There hadn’t been a vehicle other than his moving in the parking lot. She wouldn’t have gone if she’d seen anything suspicious. That didn’t soothe him. Alex didn’t believe she knew what would be suspicious though. She knew the stalker, at least casually. Their vehicle might belong in the lot.
She still had a difficult time thinking that someone familiar to her would do this, but she worked on that problem. Even though she hated it, she couldn’t hide from the truth.
“Are you ready to go over to Mom’s tonight?” Joy strolled into the room.
Chelsea began to pack her things into her shoulder bag. Her brow furrowed. Joy’s question caught her off guard. For a minute, she couldn’t remember why she’d go over to her mother’s home.
She hadn’t made any plans to go there. Her mother hadn’t called her recently. After a little time, she remembered her dad’s birthday. Over a month ago, her mother said they’d get together and plan a party on his monthly poker night.
“Thanks for reminding me. It slipped my mind. We’ll be there after we stop off at Alex’s house.” Chelsea looked at the top of the desk and in the side drawer to make sure she hadn’t left anything. They hadn’t gone straight home in the last few days. They’d made stops off at the police station a couple times and at a friend’s house on another.
“I thought it might have. You’ve been a little stressed over the last few weeks.” Joy edged over to the desk and sat on the edge. “You and Alex doing alright?”
“Yeah, I think we worked through a few issues. He is talking more.” Chelsea sat down in the chair behind the desk.
“That’s good. You were worried that he was hiding something.” Joy messed with the adjustable light on the desk.
Yes, the silence had fired her imagination. She didn’t want to be only a small part of his life. A couple’s life should be tangled together like vines, separate, but intertwined. After their talk, she was more confident.
“We’re good on that front. I want to wait until all the drama of this stalking crap is finished before we make any decisions about the relationship.” Chelsea bit her lip.
The waiting for the stalker to be caught stretched her patience, which was already a little thin anyway. She wanted to talk to him about the future and their relationship. She hoped he wanted something permanent. He’d implied he did earlier. She longed for a future with him.
“I understand. You don’t want him to think you’re committing to him because you need his protection, right?” Joy’s head tilted.
“Yeah, that’s a big part of it. The man’s a protector. It’s natural for him, but what’s between us doesn’t have anything to do with that. It’s all about him as a man and how he makes me feel.” Chelsea drew circles on the desktop with her fingers.
“The protector is part of him so I’m sure it’s part of it.” Joy grinned and held up a hand. “I know you mean it’s not one of the reasons you’re in love with him.”
Chelsea looked toward the door. Thankfully, Alex wasn’t there. She sent a scowl toward her sister. “I haven’t even told him that. You could try not to blurt it out when he might walk in the door.”
“You didn’t tell me either. I just know you.” Joy shrugged.
“Yeah, keep your knowledge to yourself. I want to be the one who tells him that.” Chelsea shook her head. She didn’t want those words coming from anyone but her.
“No problem. I’ll be careful about it.” Joy smiled. Her head tipped to the side and a brow rose. “You plan to tell him soon?”
“Joy, don’t you have a love life to worry about? You were dating someone recently.” Chelsea gave her sister a long look and sighed.
Joy waved her hand. “No, that ended. He was looking for too much too soon. Three dates in and he mentions marriage. It made me wonder why.”
“Well, did you learn why?” She leaned forward in concern.
“Yes, I did.” Joy grimaced.
“Well, why was he pushing so hard for it? Did he want connection to the family business or something?” Chelsea frowned. It wouldn’t be the first time someone had approached one of them for that reason.
“No, nothing like that, although I’m sure that didn’t hurt.” Joy shrugged. “His mother caused some significant trouble. You know the fires and the letter that hit that human paper. The mayor had decided that two of their family needed to serve to make up for what was done. He thought that he wouldn’t be chosen if he had recently married.”
The position of mayor here wasn’t the same as it was in a human town. He led the city’s Aelfir. They didn’t hold elections for the position. He was selected and marked by the Goddess when the last mayor’s rule ended. Sometimes with death, other times through divine termination. Normally, when a new leader was selected, the old one stepped down. There had been a few instances where the old leader tried to keep his place.
Chelsea had heard that the person behind the fire was sick. Most of the time, that didn’t lead to service. The family must have done something. Maybe they tried to keep her crimes a secret.
“How are you? How do you feel about this?” Chelsea put her hand on Joy’s arm.
“Well, he kind of creeped me out with the sudden press for marriage. So I had drawn back from him.” Joy sighed.
“I’m sorry he tried to use you, Joy.” Chelsea squeezed her sister’s hand.
“Yeah, he didn’t get out of it and the mayor learned of what he was trying to do. I wasn’t the only one that he tried to rush into marriage.” Joy shrugged.
Her sister felt more upset about it than she would admit. Stress or maybe anger had tightened the skin over Joy’s cheeks and jaw. Chelsea wouldn’t push anymore. Her sister would talk when she was ready. It had to hurt that the man had tried to use her, but also that he attempted the same with others to make sure that he didn’t have to serve.
Joy stayed with her until Alex arrived. Chelsea smiled when Alex strolled into the room. He still wore his uniform with the lighter blue shirt and dark black pants. Damn, he looked handsome. He strolled around her desk and took her in his arms.
“Hey, Chelsea, have a good day?” Alex leaned down and dropped a kiss on her nose.
“Ugh, boring. Tonight, we have to go to my mother’s. I forgot about it until Joy reminded me. We’ll need to go there after we stop by the house. The good thing is she’ll feed us though.” Chelsea smiled. She hugged him tight.
“Hey, I’m always ready to eat your mom’s food. Let’s go. I’ll change clothes and we can go straight over there.” Alex nodded. “Do you have everything?”
“I was ready a few minutes after you called.” She released him with a last hard squeeze. She’d love to kick Joy out, lock the door, and enjoy the privacy of the office for a little while.
Alex brushed her hair back behind her ear. “We’ll catch this man as soon as we can, baby. I know you’re not fond of staying in the office.”
That was an understatement, but she didn’t to say anything about it. She’d seen the guilt on his face at times. It wasn’t his fault. She didn’t want to make him feel any worse. They couldn’t make the stalker reveal himself. She’d find the patience to wait.
“I can deal with it. There is a plus. I get to spend time in the development greenhouse.” She tightened her arms around him, hoping to reassure him. “Let’s go so you can change.”
He guided her out to his car. She noticed the tension in his shoulders and his back. He settled into the driver’s seat. When he started the car, he took a deep breath before beginning the drive. They headed home.
Chapter Eight
Chelsea talked about her day, as well as two new flowers they were trying to develop. He talked a little about his day. By the time they pulled up to his house, he’d relaxed a little.
“Stay in the car. I’ll come around for you.” Alex glanced over at her.
She hadn’t even moved. She’d gotten used to his insistence to get out first to check for any danger. He slid out of the car. She watched his smooth strides. He rounded the front of the vehicle. His eyes never stopped moving. He looked over the yard, searching for anything out of the ordinary.
When he got to the passenger side of the car, she saw a dark streak flash through the air. Alex flinched and went down. She ducked down in the seat. With one hand, she grabbed her shoulder bag and the other pulled the door handle. She had to check on Alex.
What the fuck hit him? How badly was he hurt? She didn’t know and had to get to him.
Nothing except the sound of her racing heart reached her ears. She couldn’t chance looking out the window. Her throat tightened. Tears pricked the back of her eyes as the possibilities bombarded her.
She eased the door open and slipped out of the car. When a hand grabbed her leg, she almost screamed. She looked down. Alex had crawled over to the door. She eased out knelt beside him.
An arrow shaft stuck in his arm. A red stain oozed out around the shaft of the arrow. Her throat tightened and her stomach constricted, as if a fist had knotted around it.
“Get your phone and call for help. Mine’s on the damn stand in the car.” Alex braced his back against the car.
She reached in her bag and fished out her phone. Her hands shook as she pressed 911 and waited. She explained what had happened and that Alex was injured. Her muscles tightened as she looked around. Will the stalker come find us and try again?
Alex had his gun drawn. He knelt and kept looking to each end of the car. It didn’t take a genius to know he stayed on guard, protecting them both. Her mouth dried as fear swelled. She didn’t want the man to sneak up on them either.
The whoop of sirens reached them. She rested her head back against the car door. Just the sound boosted Chelsea’s spirits. Help would be here soon. She reached out and ran her hand over Alex’s leg, seeking a little reassurance.
“Are you all right?” She looked up at him.
He didn’t glance at her. His eyes still swept from the front of the car to the back. His lips compressed. The edges had turned white from the pressure. She wanted to take away his pain. For the first time, she wished her talent encompassed something other than plants.
“It hurts like a bitch, but I don’t think it hit anything except muscle.” Alex’s voice was tight.
“The sirens are getting loud.” She didn’t know if it comforted him, but it helped her.
“It won’t be long. The man who shot me is probably gone, but I won’t relax until they arrive.” Alex did glance at her, but his attention turned back to his search of the yard.
Police cars pulled into the driveway. Officers cautiously got out of the squad cars, using the car and doors as shields at first. Most of them fanned out, searching. One officer came over to Alex and Chelsea. Chelsea had never been so relieved in her life.
Alex handed over his gun so that they could finish securing the area. Now that others had come to help, Chelsea turned her attention to the wound. She could check it without fearing someone would attack them.
The arrow entered on the fleshy part of his arm. It hadn’t gone through. Had it hit bone?
She bit her lip. This shouldn’t have happened to him. She ran her hands through her hair. Her eyes cut to him and she shook her head. What if they had to keep him in the hospital because of this?
“Do not go crazy on me, Chelsea.” Alex squeezed her shoulder. “This will be fine after they get the bolt out and stitch me up.”
“I think you’re minimizing matters too much. You just got shot with an arrow.” She blinked to fight back tears.
“It could be worse. He could have better aim or used a higher powered bow.” Alex grinned.
“You’re not funny. That could have killed you.” She scowled at him.
“No, ma’am, he isn’t funny. He has a definitely skewed sense of humor. Can you move back so I can see the wound? The ambulance is almost here. The healers at the hospital are ready and waiting for him.” An officer stopped beside them.
Chelsea moved away. Alden Glen’s hospital wasn’t simply a show of normalcy for humans. At times, wounds or sickness required medical intervention beyond the work of the healers. The occasional human also sometimes needed medical attention while they were in town.
“Do you feel alright?” The officer asked. He put a hand on Alex’s shoulder.
“It’s not spelled or tainted as far as I can tell. I’ve had both occur before and it doesn’t take this long to take effect.” Alex took a deep breath.
With spelled or tainted wounds, healing magic blocked and removed the spell. After that was done, the healers treated the injury as a human doctor would. Healing took energy. Tainted wounds took a lot of energy. Even with multiple healers on staff, the hospital had to be careful of how they used them.
“That’s a good thing. The healers will check it to make sure, but you should be almost healed by the time you leave the hospital.” The officer nodded. “The chief will meet you at the hospital to ask you a few questions.”
“I thought he would.” Alex nodded. “She has to go with me. The person who did this has tried to separate us.”
“She’ll ride with you in the ambulance.” The officer assured him.
Alex relaxed. His shoulders slumped a little and he leaned against the car. The officers secured the scene and were certain the attacker had fled. The ambulance arrived with lights flashing. The EMT’s rushed forward as soon as the officer’s waved them through. They put Alex on a gurney.
He reached out and grabbed her hand. His firm grip kept her right by his side. She had to stay with him when they walked to the ambulance or chance being dragged. He released her when they lifted him into the back. The EMT told her where to sit. With a sigh of relief, she climbed up to take that seat. Alex smiled at her.
She sent a quick text to Joy about what had happened. Joy texted back. She’d tell Mom and Caleb and come to the hospital. Chelsea smiled. Exactly what she expected. When trouble happened to one of them, her family came together.
“Did you tell Joy or your mother that we wouldn’t be there?” Alex asked.
“I told her what happened. Joy said they’ll meet us at the hospital. They want to make sure you’re alright.” Chelsea glanced from Alex to the EMT. The EMT monitored Alex’s vitals.
“They could wait for a call.” Alex lifted his head and frowned at her.
“Alex, they like you. My mom became a definite fan the moment she met you. It’s what they do. They come to check on someone who has been hurt.” Chelsea shrugged. She wouldn’t want them to change that. “This is part of being in a serious relationship with me.”
“I don’t want them putting themselves at risk.” Alex relaxed back onto the gurney.
“None of us know what the stalker will do.” Chelsea sighed. “Would he try again so soon after escalating to this?”
“Probably not. He’ll regroup. I don’t think this is something he’s accustomed to.” Alex’s fist clenched. “I want you to stay with me though, because I don’t want to give him an opportunity at you.”
“I’ll stay with you.” She didn’t want to cause him any worry while they treated him.
They arrived at the hospital. Chelsea followed, but kept out of the way. She glanced around the cheerful blue and white entrance. Two healers waited near the emergency entrance.
One was a nurse, the other the doctor. They took charge, guiding the gurney back to a room. Chelsea kept pace and found a seat off to the side. In moments, they had Alex where they wanted him and started their assessment. The healers began to work.
Their hands moved on his arm. She knew they probed the flesh with their abilities. Chelsea did something similar with an injured plant, to check the extent of the damage. The healers talked to each in a soft tone Chelsea could barely hear.
&
nbsp; They brought in a portable scanner to check what the arrow might have hit and if any bone was involved. She grimaced when they removed the arrow. Alex groaned. Chelsea was sure she’d be cussing and screaming if they’d done that to her.
“It’s not tainted and there’s no spell. You’re a lucky man. No stitches today.” The doctor smiled down at Alex.
“That’s always a bonus.” Alex grinned. “Stitches take a while to put in.”
“We still need to clean this out the conventional way before we heal it.” The nurse pulled over a tray with bottles of antiseptic, tubes of ointment and pads.
“Let’s get to it, then.” Alex nodded.
It didn’t take too long to clean the wound. Once they finished with that, the two healers put their hands on Alex’s arm. They channeled their abilities into him. The bleeding slowed and the wound began to heal.
When they finished, a thin red cut remained on his arm. The bleeding had stopped. It looked as if he’d been sliced, not had a deep penetrating wound. The healers closed it with steri-strips to keep the skin together until the healing completed. The strips might not be necessary. When Alex twisted his arm, the wound remained closed without them.
They walked out into the emergency waiting room. Joy, her mother, and Caleb sat in chairs, but stood as soon as they noticed them. She saw Gallagher Stark stroll into the room as if he’d known they’d be out about now. The chief of police headed straight for them. It surprised her that he’d just arrived.
“Alex, good to see you in one piece. Let’s go to the department. I have a few questions about what happened.” Gallagher stopped in front of them.
“Alright, let me just thank Chelsea’s family for coming to make sure I’m alright,” Alex said.
“I’m not going anywhere without you.” Gallagher nodded.
Chelsea walked with Alex over to her family. They talked for a few minutes. Caleb had brought clothes for Alex just in case he needed them. Alex gratefully took the shirt since his other shirt had been cut to treat the wounds.
Chelsea promised to call Joy and her mother later so they could talk about the party plans. They left the hospital and Gallagher drove them to the police station. Alex held her hand. When they arrived, he tugged her out his side of the vehicle.
Tangled Bliss Page 5