The Accidental Vampire (35 page)

Victor frowned, hesitant to admit his original purpose in coming here, but in the end he didn't have to, Edward did it for him.

"I believe Victor is referring to his job as enforcer for our council."

"His job as enforcer?" Teddy raised his eyebrows, and asked with interest, "Is that like a vampire cop?"

"Basically," Edward agreed. "He is sent out to hunt down rogue immortals."

"Rogue immortals?" Teddy's eyes narrowed. "Like ones who go around biting mortals and such?"

Victor grimaced.

"Yes," Edward answered when he didn't. "Of course, his case was complicated when he got here and found he couldn't read Elvi and she is his lifemate."

"Lifemate, lifemate, lifemate. What the hell is a lifemate?" Teddy asked with irritation. "Everyone keeps throwing that word around. Mabel is DJ's lifemate, Elvi is—or according to her isn't—Victor's lifemate. What the hell does it mean?"

"It is what it sounds like," Victor said simply. "Our other half. The rare woman who would be a proper mate. A woman we can neither read nor control and who balances out our shortcomings."

"She completes us," Harper said quietly. "And fills up the emptiness our existence forces upon us."

Brunswick chewed that over, and then asked, "And Elvi's that for you?"

Victor frowned, his gaze sliding over the other men before he admitted, "It seems she may be that for all of us."

"Yeah, DJ was saying as much the other day," Teddy said with a grimace. "Does this mean that instead of a mate, we've found Elvi a harem?"

"No," Edward assured him. "It does rarely happen where two immortals can't read and would suit one of the opposite sex, but it is very rare, and not the case here. At least," he added, glancing around the men, "I can read her. She is not my lifemate."

"Well, why the hell are you still here, then?" Victor asked with annoyance. "Why didn't you leave the minute you knew you could read her?"

"It was a free week away," Edward said with a shrug. "Besides, I was curious to see how it would turn out. It's like one of those movies-of-the-week. The big tough council enforcer sent to bring in a rogue vampire, only she's not what he thinks she is,
and
she's his lifemate. What will he do?" He shrugged. "Besides, this town is just… and she's so… and then there are other interests here," he finished with a shrug.

Victor just gaped at the man, unsure how to respond. He then turned a disbelieving glance DJ's way when the younger immortal commented, "Well, at least there's one less man in the running."

"Actually, is two less men," Alessandro announced, drawing their attention his way. He gave a shrug and said, "I too can read
bella
Elvi."

"You stayed for the free week too?" DJ suggested with amusement.

Alessandro shrugged again. "And other things."

"That leaves you, Harper," Teddy announced pointedly, turning Victor's attention the German's way. "I suppose you can read her too and were just hanging out for the free blood all week and to see what would happen."

"Actually, no," Harper said, and then admitted, "I haven't tried to read her."

Victor frowned. "You haven't?"

"No," Harper said calmly. "I didn't bother to try after finding I couldn't read Jenny Harper."

Teddy Brunswick stiffened. "Jenny Harper, our mail-woman?"

"Yes. The first night at the restaurant I went to thank her party for switching tables with us, if you'll recall?"

When the men all nodded, he said, "Well, the coincidence of her last name being Harper as is my first name, started a conversation and…" He shrugged.

"But you've been courting Elvi," Victor pointed out. "Why—"

"I wasn't exactly courting her, Victor. But I was here at her invitation—or Mabel's as the case may be—and it did seem polite to keep company with her until the week is over. It also seemed a good opportunity to allow Jenny to get used to me before I tell her she's mine," he said simply. "Besides, you did seem to need the help keeping an eye on her with someone out to kill her."

"Which is still the case," Edward pointed out. "Although now there is the added problem of keeping you from losing her. And then keeping the council from demanding her head." He smiled with mild amusement. "For a two-thousand-year-old vampire your lack of finesse in dealing with women is rather appalling."

"What are you going to do about this council?" Brunswick asked before Victor could react to Edward's words.

Victor sighed, his shoulders slumping as he admitted, "I don't know what the hell to do about the council. I've been trying to sort that out all week, but got distracted by… things," he ended lamely. Most of the distraction was due to Elvi herself. Truly, an immortal was useless when he first found his lifemate.

"Well"—Teddy shifted unhappily—"what exactly is it they're sore about?"

"We were sent here originally because of the ad in the paper and the rumors in Toronto," Victor said.

Brunswick scowled at the accusation in his face. "Don't get all pissy with me. If it weren't for the ad, you never would have met her. Besides, they can't punish her for either thing. You already know that the rumors around the clubs are because of me and Barney, and the ad was placed by Mabel. They can't blame her for that."

"Surely, he's right, Victor," Harper said. "They can hardly blame and punish her for something others did."

"No," Victor agreed. "But they can blame her for other things. She isn't exactly living quietly and doing her best to evade notice here. She's a celebrity, if only in this small town, which they won't like at all. And she was biting mortals, and that's worse, that's breaking our laws."

"She didn't know it was against your laws, surely they'd take that into account?" Teddy argued.

Victor arched an eyebrow. "So you let go every mortal who claims they didn't know they were going over the speed limit, or didn't know what they were doing was against a law?"

"Damn," Teddy muttered, dropping his eyes.

"We'll figure something out," DJ assured the man quietly. "Victor's smart and powerful and his brother is the head of the council. He'll sort it out."

Victor managed not to wince at this claim. He didn't have a single idea as to what to do about it all. And Lucian may be his brother, but it didn't mean the man would show mercy here. Lucian Argeneau had a reputation for being one of the most cold-blooded bastards on the continent, and with good reason. Victor's instincts were shouting at him to grab Elvi and flee, hide, move to Europe maybe where the council might not follow.

"Anyway," DJ commented, "that's why Victor doesn't want to order blood in. He's trying to avoid any contact with the council or anyone close to the council until he sorts out the safest way to present this matter to them."

"Yes, I understand now." Harper looked thoughtful. "So, we too are now forced to depend on the goodness of these townspeople for our sustenance."

"And Elvi and Mabel," Edward pointed out. "Unless we'd care to get off our high horses and help, Elvi and Mabel are the ones who will be singing for our supper… or kissing for it as the case may be."

"No," Alessandro said indignantly. "They will not sing. I allow no woman to prostitution herself for me. I will do the prostitution for my own blood."

"And I," Harper murmured.

Victor glanced at Teddy. "So? What can we do to help?"

Brunswick hesitated, his gaze sliding around the fairgrounds, and then turned away. "Come with me. We'll go find Karen and Mike. They're on the committee for this thing."

Victor started to follow, slowing when Edward appeared at his side to murmur, "Once we've settled the issue of helping out, I think we should discuss how best to help you win the fair Elvi. You don't seem to be doing very well on your own."

"He's right," Harper said from his other side. "We'll put our heads together and come up with something. Don't you worry."

For some reason, their assurances only made him worry more.

Chapter Twenty

"Teddy just told me the men are running the pie booth," Mabel murmured, handing her a bandage for the latest donor.

Elvi glanced at her with surprise. "I thought Karen was running the pie booth?"

Mabel shook her head. "Teddy says Karen and Mike are still out in the parking lot, arguing about something. So the men took over the booth and are offering women a kiss if they return with a bandage showing they've given blood."

Elvi's eyebrows rose. That explained the increase in women donors. It was usually mostly men at her booth, the women sticking to going to the blood bank, but she'd noticed several women in the line the last couple of times she'd glanced that way.

"Who gets to kiss them?" Elvi asked as she bent to apply the bandage to John Dorsey's arm, and then gave him a quick peck on the lips, a glass of juice, and a cookie.

"That was my first question too," Mabel said with a laugh. "I gather Victor and DJ are only doing the selling part, the women have their choice of Edward, Harper, or Alessandro. And," she added dryly, "apparently they volunteered for it. It seems their appetite for food isn't the only thing that has been reawakened on this trip. Which is kind of weird when you think about it… or not," she added mysteriously.

"'What have you heard?" Elvi demanded at once.

"Well, there
is
some gossip running around," she admitted.

"About?"

"Well… did you notice that Edward kept volunteering to go to the grocery store for you to get more flour, then more butter, then apples and so on while you guys were making the pies?"

"Yes," Elvi nodded. The man had taken forever on those trips, but she'd just put it down to his slow driving.

"Well, it seems every single time he went to Dawn's till, and spent a good deal of time chatting her up and laughing with her," Mabel announced.

"Laughing? Edward?" She asked with disbelief.

"I knowwwww," Mabel said with a nod. "Maybe she's his lifemate."

"Dawn? No way," Elvi said, but wondered.

"And then there's Alessandro."

"What about Alessandro?" Elvi asked, eyes widening.

"Well, Louise Ascot says he's been over sitting on Mrs. Ricci's front porch every morning this week while she's out doing her embroidering by sunlight."

"In the morning?While the rest of us are sleeping?" Elvi considered that and supposed it explained why the man was always the last one up.

"Apparently he sits there until almost noon," Mabel went on. "Just talking to her and helping her thread her needle and so on. And Louise says this morning they went inside and he didn't come out for hours… and he was grinning like an idiot when he did."

"Mrs. Ricci?" Elvi gasped. "She's eighty-four!"

Mabel snorted. "Well, I'm sixty-two and that didn't stop DJ."

"Yes, but… DJ is sweet and intelligent, and Alessandro is so immature and…" She paused to ask, "I don't suppose you've heard anything about Harper?"

She nodded. "Karen says that at the play she and Mike took them to, Harper chose their seats and he settled down right beside our mailwoman, Jenny, and he spent the whole play talking to her."

"Well… I guess I can stop worrying about how to let them down easy," she said with a grin, and then muttered, "I suppose now I just have to worry about dealing with Victor."

"Yes." Mabel bit her lip, and then said, "Elvi, don't be too hard on him. I don't think he thinks you're an idiot or any of that stuff. And as for the '
pet'
deal…" She sighed unhappily. "Honey, he's seen and understood more in a week than this whole town has in five years, including me, your supposed best friend who lives with you." She shook her head. "I'm sorry I didn't realize how you were feeling. It never occurred to me that you might feel guilted into doing these things."

"Mabel, it's OK," Elvi said quickly.

"No, it's not. I'm seeing things different now that I'm immortal too. For instance, these costumes are damned uncomfortable and just plain ridiculous. How the hell have you stood it these last five—Oh my God, DJ shaved and cut his hair!"

Elvi glanced over her shoulder to see Victor and DJ approaching, both of them must have visited Irene's booth. The hairdresser was cutting hair at the fair, the donations all going to the Abused Kid's Shelter as was the money from Elvi's pies.

"I like the shave," Mabel announced, then added, "but I liked his hair longer."

"So did I," Elvi murmured, her gaze on Victor's short, conservative cut. He was still gorgeous, but there was just something about a man with longer hair. She stared at him silently until Mabel touched her arm, drawing her attention.

"Listen, Elv—Ellie," Mabel corrected herself, reverting to her old nickname with an apologetic smile. "Look, just listen to Victor, okay? From everything I've seen and everything DJ has said, I think Victor really does love you."

"He thinks I'm an idiot," Elvi muttered.

"Don't be ridiculous. Anyone with half a brain could tell you're no idiot," she argued. "Just let him talk, okay?"

"I thought you were mad at him too for what he said," she asked with a frown.

"Well, I was, but I've been thinking he was right. We didn't mean to, but we were treating you like a pet or something. None of us considered that you might want to do something besides perform for everyone all the time, and—" She broke off and shook her head. "There isn't time, just let him talk. I'll take over the booth; you two just take your time."

Elvi watched her hurry off to the back of the booth, and then turned to see DJ break off to join the blonde. Victor continued on until he stood directly in front of her. "I don't think you're an idiot," he blurted. "I have the greatest respect for your intelligence. I think you're charming, and beautiful and sexy, and sharp-witted and sexy and sweet and kind and sexy and—Ah hell." Giving up his verbal attempt to explain himself, Victor grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her against his chest to kiss her thoroughly.

Elvi was gasping for breath by the time he released her, but still heard him say softly, "I love you, Ellen Stone."

Letting her breath out on a little sigh, she leaned her head against his chest and whispered, "I'm not an idiot."