basement. Harper grabbed the last pie, stepped forward to open the door, then
followed him down and pulled it closed behind them.
"So, what are we going to do now?" Edward asked ending the silence in the room once
the two men were gone. "Bake brownies or some other entertaining pastime?"
Elvi smiled faintly at his sarcasm. The man really needed some social skills. It was no
wonder the other men disliked him, but they'd been wrong about his playing nice with
her. She was the brunt of his sarcastic comments as often as the others. He really
didn't seem to like others much. If he ever wished to get himself a lifemate, he really
needed to work on that.
"Actually, I was thinking that I would take you gentlemen out for supper and drinks as
a thank‐you for all your help with this," Elvi informed him.
"Where?" Edward asked doubtfully.
Elvi shrugged, "Well, we could go to Bella Black's for dinner, or—"
"No, thank you," he said at once.
Elvi bit her lip, wondering if he'd just insulted her restaurant. "Well, as I was going to
say before I was so rudely interrupted, or there are a couple other restaurants in town
that—"
"Elvi, my dear," Edward interrupted. "I wasn't slagging your restaurant when I said no.
I'm sure the food there is wonderful, it certainly smelled delicious while we were
there. However, while you may be content to be the local pet, I'd rather not be stared
and whispered over all night," the man said dryly, then added, "Eating or drinking
anywhere in this town is hardly relaxing."
" 'Pet' ?" Elvi echoed.
"I'm afraid the Edward he is right," Alessandro said gently. "Is not so comfortable here
with everyone doing the staring and whispering. At the play with the Knights, we
watch the show, but everyone else, they watch us. Is better we go elsewhere I think."
Elvi let her breath out on a little sigh, dropping her contention with Edward's use of the
term pet… for now. She did understand what the men were saying. It had been the
same when she'd first returned, but had eased with time. Now that the men were
here, it had started all over again.
"Well, we could go into the city," she suggested.
"The city?" Alessandro asked with interest, but Edward said, "Carousing with a bunch
of drunken mortals isn't exactly an alternative we'd be interested in."
"Well, I'm afraid there isn't much choice," Elvi said with exasperation. "As far as I know,
most people are mortals. You're the first vampires I've met in five years around here."
"That you know of," Edward pointed out. "Unfortunately, lacking in training as you are,
I don't think you'd recognize an Immortal unless they bit you… which of course they
wouldn't do because they'd know you were an immortal and so your blood would be
useless to them."
Elvi scowled with irritation, wondering why he was still here. If he hadn't just spent the
last two days helping her make pies, she'd have asked him outright to leave. He really
had no chance with her as a lifemate. Even if she weren't already involved with Victor,
Edward was just too annoying to suit her.
"Toronto is only two or three hours away," Alessandro piped up. "We could go to the
Night Club."
Elvi opened her mouth to ask what the night club was when the door to the garage
opened and Mabel led DJ into the house. Forgetting about the night club for the
moment, she eyed the pair with surprise. "You're home early."
Mabel shrugged. "I left Pedro in charge. DJ and I wanted some time alone."
"Oh." Elvi was surprised, but supposed she shouldn't have been. While Mabel had
intended on taking over all responsibility for the restaurant while Elvi got to know her
"dates," she hadn't counted on falling in love with DJ, and that's what she'd done. By
her guess, it wouldn't be long before the issue of turning came up and Elvi was hoping
she'd agree.
"What are you guys doing? Going out anywhere?"
DJ looked hopeful. It seemed obvious he was hoping for some time alone with Mabel.
"We are thinking to go to the Night Club," Alessandro announced.
"What's the Night Club?" Mabel asked the question their entrance had stopped Elvi
from asking, and then shifted out of the way as the door to the basement opened and
Victor and Harper rejoined them.
"It is the Night Club," Alessandro said with a shrug. "Is bar, where immortals go at
night."
"Of course, it keeps longer hours than mortal bars and clubs, and the beverages are
more to our liking," Edward added.
"Hmm." Elvi was curious. The idea of a bar filled with immortals was tantalizing. She