"The first question out of Bastien's mouth would be ' How is the case going?' " he
explained, and then added, "I don't want to answer that question."
"Just what case would that be, and why wouldn't you want to answer the question?"
Brunswick asked, reminding them of his presence.
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