dismay as they hurried through the crowd in search of the Biting Booth. "And Mabel
too. Surely you told her it's not allowed, DJ?"
"Yes," DJ bit off the word.
"The Biting Booth is usually in the back right corner," Brunswick announced, hurrying
to keep up with them.
"Show us," Victor said, and allowed him to take the lead as they made their way
through the crowded grounds.
Victor was concentrating on keeping Brunswick in his sights in the busy area, so wasn't
looking around much, but when Edward suddenly gave a bark of laughter, he glanced
around curiously.
"What—?" Victor broke off the question as he spotted the booth Edward was looking
at. The booth itself and its occupants were impossible to see for the crowd gathered in
front of it, but the sign was clearly visible overhead. It did read Biting Booth, but the
Biting had a black line through it and Kissing had been written above it.
"Well," Edward said mildly, "I suppose we can at least stop worrying about the ladies
losing their heads over this."
"The hell we can," Victor muttered and strode past Brunswick to make his way through
the crowd. He pushed his way to the front of the crowd of men, ignoring the
complaints and mutters it caused, but came to an abrupt halt as he arrived at the
booth.
Mabel was at the counter, checking off items on a clipboard as she asked questions of
the man at the front of the line. He heard DJ's sigh of relief as he reached his side and
spotted his lifemate with her clipboard, but Victor didn't comment as his eyes sought
out and found Elvi.
She was at the back of the booth, busy removing a needle from the arm of a leering
young man. As they watched, she gave him a cookie, a small glass of juice, then a quick
peck on the lips, before moving to the man seated in the next of three chairs.
Growling, Victor started around to the entrance to the booth, only to find Mabel
suddenly in his way.
"Sorry, Victor, you don't qualify," she said brightly. "We can't take your blood. No
blood, no kiss. Off you go now. We're busy here."
"Mabel." DJ caught her arm and drew her to the side to begin whispering frantically.
He wasn't as angry as Victor now that he saw Mabel wasn't actually kissing anyone, but
Victor was furious.
"There you go," Elvi was saying cheerfully as she removed the needle on the second
man and put a wad of cotton over the hole where the needle had been. "Just hold that
firmly for a minute while I get you a Band‐Aid."
She turned then, only to come to a halt to keep from crashing into Victor.
"Oh!" she said with alarmed surprise. "Victor. What are you doing here?"
"I think the more important question would be what are you doing here?" he said
grimly, and then took her arm to move her away from the three men seated in the
chairs at the back of the booth.
"I'm working," she answered shortly, then glanced nervously around. "Teddy isn't here,
is he? Does he know—?"
"That you stole his car?" he finished dryly. "Yes, he does and he's pretty angry."
"We didn't steal it," Elvi said quickly. "We just borrowed it."
"I don't think he sees it that way," Victor muttered. "He's not happy, and neither am I."
"Well, that hardly matters, since you weren't happy with me before," she said
impatiently. "From what you were shouting, it's obvious you think I'm a brainless twit."
"I do not," Victor denied at once, cursing himself for yelling at her earlier. In the next
moment he was frowning in confusion, wondering how he'd suddenly become the one
in the wrong. Before he could sort it out, Brunswick came rushing up with the others.
"Ellen Stone," he said, yanking out his handcuffs. "You're under arrest for grand theft
auto."
"Why is it you only call me by my proper name when you're angry at me?" Elvi asked
smartly, not seeming too concerned by the handcuffs he was waving angrily around.
"And put those silly things away. You can't arrest me."
"I can and I'm going to," Teddy assured her.
"Then you'll just have to charge yourself with conspiracy to kidnap," she said calmly.
When Teddy drew himself up in shock, she went on, "Oh, don't try to deny it. We
heard everything from the upstairs landing on the way to my room." Making a stern
face, she imitated him in a deep growl, '"We'll just tell them they can't go to the fair,
and if they give us any trouble we'll lock them in the cold room.'" She arched one
eyebrow and said, "If it isn't kidnapping, it's at least unlawful confinement."
"But we didn't get the chance to lock you in," he argued quickly.