The Accidental Vampire(103)

"And I didn't steal your car, I borrowed it. Here are your keys." She dug a set of keys

out of her pocket and dropped them into his hand. "Thanks for leaving them in the car

for me. It's in the parking lot."

"You left the keys in the ignition?" Victor asked with disbelief.

"The shed was on fire," Teddy muttered, with embarrassment. "I don't even remember

turning off the engine. I just slammed the car into park and jumped out to run over."

He grimaced. "I didn't even think of them again until the car was missing."

"That ought to look good in the report," Mabel commented, drawing their attention to

her and DJ. The couple stood arm in arm. Victor supposed that meant they'd patched

things up. It was what he really wanted to do with Elvi, patch things up and get her

back to the house where she would be safe. And yelling at her obviously wasn't going

to achieve that, he acknowledged. He supposed he'd best try reason.

"Elvi," he began calmly, "DJ can help Mabel with the booth. Please come home with

me."

It almost seemed to work. Her stance and expression softened, but then she shook her

head and said apologetically, "I can't Victor. I'm expected to be here."

Victor snorted with irritation. "From what I've heard this last week, you're expected at

every town event. It won't kill you to leave this one event early."

"Actually, it very well might kill me," she said coldly, her own temper returning. "In

case you haven't noticed, it isn't money they're donating here."

"You shouldn't have to sing for your supper like some sort of town pet," Victor said

sharply and knew at once that it had been the wrong thing to say. Elvi had started to

turn away, but paused and spun back at his words. Curiously, her gaze shot to Edward

first and then to him.

"Town pet?" she asked in a very quiet voice.

Victor's mouth tightened, and he pointed out, "That's how it seems to be. They supply

you blood and you come when they call like a well‐trained dog. They have plays and

fairs and displays, and you show up and perform like a trained bear."

Victor saw the blood drain from her face and was sorry he'd said that, but couldn't

take back the words. Besides, they were true. He'd caught glimpses of it everywhere in

her life. She hated the name Elvi, but didn't demand people stop using it because she

didn't want to upset them. She'd admitted that she hated the costumes she wore to

the restaurant and these events—like the sleek black gowns she and Mabel both had

on now—but wore them because it was expected. The Birthday Bite business was a

pain, but she'd continued with it rather than disappoint anyone. And then there was

her panic about the pies for the fair, as if should she not participate in this one event it

would be cataclysmic. He'd got the impression that she feared they'd stop donating if

she didn't make these appearances.

Still, his choice of words could have been more diplomatic, Victor realized as he saw

the cool expression now replacing the hurt on her face. He braced himself for a telling

off, instead she nodded abruptly and said in icy tones, "It's good to know what you

really think of me."

"Elvi," he reached for her hand, but she jerked it away.

"No. You've made your opinion perfectly clear. You may not be able to read me and

that might suggest I'm your lifemate, but I don't think I am. You don't think much of

me, Victor. You think I'm stupid and in need of a keeper. I don't want to be anyone's

pet. Not even yours. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

Turning away, she moved back to her charges in the donation chairs, leaving Victor

staring helplessly after her, knowing he'd screwed up royally, but unsure how to fix it.

"I can't believe you!" Mabel snapped, suddenly in his face. "You're supposed to be her

lifemate, but you call her the town pet and a trained bear?"

"Mabel," DJ murmured, reaching for her arm, but she shook him off with a sharp "no"

and glared at Victor. "For your information, this particular fair is all because of you."

"What?" Victor asked with surprise.

"Mabel's right," Teddy announced wearily, most of his anger with Elvi appearing gone.

"We arranged this fair to bring in more donors… because of you and the men."

When they began to protest, he raised a hand for silence and explained, "There are

five of you here that we're giving blood to for a week. That's five weeks of Elvi's supply

gone like that." He snapped his thumb and finger together.

"Actually," Mabel added. "It's probably more than five weeks since you men seem to