Read Online The Accidental Vampire by Lynsay Sands - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lynsay Sands
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licked her upper lip, then explained, "Most of them do and it's really all just a big bother, but…" She shrugged and lifted the glass to her lips.
"If so, then why not forsake this Birthday Bite business?" he asked.
She lowered the glass and peered at him curiously. "You know about that?"
"Your Captain Brunswick was explaining it to me," he admitted.
Something in his tone must have revealed that he wasn't impressed with the whole deal. She nodded and peered down into the glass, then explained, "It all started as a joke. A group of teenagers came in one night. One of the cockier ones was teasing me, trying to get me to bite him. He even went so far as to slice his palm with a pocket knife and hold it out."
Elvi shook her head at the memory. "I wanted to take a switch to his behind. But, of course, I couldn't do that. Instead, I just laughed and said I didn't bite babies." She grimaced. "Foolishly I added, ' Come back when you're a man '."
Elvi sighed and shrugged. "Two months later he returned. It was his eighteenth birthday. " I'm a man now, Elvi," he says. 'Legal. I want my bite ."
Her mouth tightened. "I tried to laugh it off, but he wasn't having any of it. He and his friends were causing such a fuss, Mabel finally said, ' He's of age, if he wants it, bite him. It just means one less bag of blood we have to come up with '."
"So you bit him," Victor murmured.
She nodded. "Much to his friends' disappointment, I made him come to the back office for it. I wasn't biting him in front of everyone like some freak show. Besides, I—"
"Besides?" Victor prompted when she fell silent.
Elvi shook her head. "It doesn't matter," she murmured, then continued, "a couple weeks later they returned. It was his friend's eighteenth birthday. I could tell at once that the friend wasn't like the troublemaker. He didn't really want to be bit; he just didn't want to look like a sissy in front of his buddy. I brought him back here, told him he didn't have to do it, and gave him a bandage for his neck so no one would know.
"I was sorry I'd been so nice about it when I overheard him bragging to his friends about how ' hot' it had been." She rolled her eyes. "Of course, with that kind of press, a couple weeks later another showed up for his 'Birthday Bite,' then another. It became almost expected. Turning eighteen? Go to Bella's and have Elvi bite you," she said wryly.
"They all come now, but half of them are only here because their friends push them into it, while others want to but are more afraid than they are excited at the prospect. Then some arrive high or bolstered up by liquid courage and I won't bite any of those. But, they all come to my office and—bite or no bite—get a bandage so everyone thinks they went through with it."
She ran her finger around the top of her glass. "I'd guess one in five actually gets bitten, but they all get a cake now and a bandage."
"And bragging rights," Victor murmured.
Elvi shrugged. "Boys will be boys."
Victor was silent. This information did affect things. It might even save her beautiful neck. He wasn't sure. There was some biting between immortals and their lovers who were willing and that was mostly ignored by the council. But while all of these boys were willing, they didn't classify as lovers and the sheer number of them would upset the council. Then there was the fact that she wasn't living quietly and trying to avoid detection. Everyone in this town seemed to know what she was.
A knock at the door had Elvi frowning and glancing toward it. She set her glass aside and moved to answer the door, revealing tonight's birthday boy, Owen.
"Mabel said I should come back here," the boy said nervously, his eyes slipping from Elvi to Victor, then away.
"Of course," Elvi murmured, ushering him inside. She then turned to peer at Victor apologetically. "If you'll excuse us?"
Victor hesitated, then stood and left the room. He pulled the door closed, but rather than return to the table, paused
"If so, then why not forsake this Birthday Bite business?" he asked.
She lowered the glass and peered at him curiously. "You know about that?"
"Your Captain Brunswick was explaining it to me," he admitted.
Something in his tone must have revealed that he wasn't impressed with the whole deal. She nodded and peered down into the glass, then explained, "It all started as a joke. A group of teenagers came in one night. One of the cockier ones was teasing me, trying to get me to bite him. He even went so far as to slice his palm with a pocket knife and hold it out."
Elvi shook her head at the memory. "I wanted to take a switch to his behind. But, of course, I couldn't do that. Instead, I just laughed and said I didn't bite babies." She grimaced. "Foolishly I added, ' Come back when you're a man '."
Elvi sighed and shrugged. "Two months later he returned. It was his eighteenth birthday. " I'm a man now, Elvi," he says. 'Legal. I want my bite ."
Her mouth tightened. "I tried to laugh it off, but he wasn't having any of it. He and his friends were causing such a fuss, Mabel finally said, ' He's of age, if he wants it, bite him. It just means one less bag of blood we have to come up with '."
"So you bit him," Victor murmured.
She nodded. "Much to his friends' disappointment, I made him come to the back office for it. I wasn't biting him in front of everyone like some freak show. Besides, I—"
"Besides?" Victor prompted when she fell silent.
Elvi shook her head. "It doesn't matter," she murmured, then continued, "a couple weeks later they returned. It was his friend's eighteenth birthday. I could tell at once that the friend wasn't like the troublemaker. He didn't really want to be bit; he just didn't want to look like a sissy in front of his buddy. I brought him back here, told him he didn't have to do it, and gave him a bandage for his neck so no one would know.
"I was sorry I'd been so nice about it when I overheard him bragging to his friends about how ' hot' it had been." She rolled her eyes. "Of course, with that kind of press, a couple weeks later another showed up for his 'Birthday Bite,' then another. It became almost expected. Turning eighteen? Go to Bella's and have Elvi bite you," she said wryly.
"They all come now, but half of them are only here because their friends push them into it, while others want to but are more afraid than they are excited at the prospect. Then some arrive high or bolstered up by liquid courage and I won't bite any of those. But, they all come to my office and—bite or no bite—get a bandage so everyone thinks they went through with it."
She ran her finger around the top of her glass. "I'd guess one in five actually gets bitten, but they all get a cake now and a bandage."
"And bragging rights," Victor murmured.
Elvi shrugged. "Boys will be boys."
Victor was silent. This information did affect things. It might even save her beautiful neck. He wasn't sure. There was some biting between immortals and their lovers who were willing and that was mostly ignored by the council. But while all of these boys were willing, they didn't classify as lovers and the sheer number of them would upset the council. Then there was the fact that she wasn't living quietly and trying to avoid detection. Everyone in this town seemed to know what she was.
A knock at the door had Elvi frowning and glancing toward it. She set her glass aside and moved to answer the door, revealing tonight's birthday boy, Owen.
"Mabel said I should come back here," the boy said nervously, his eyes slipping from Elvi to Victor, then away.
"Of course," Elvi murmured, ushering him inside. She then turned to peer at Victor apologetically. "If you'll excuse us?"
Victor hesitated, then stood and left the room. He pulled the door closed, but rather than return to the table, paused
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