Confessions of a Vampire's Girlfriend (36 page)

“Like what?” I asked, suspicious. “You guys aren't going to kill another rabbit like you did earlier?”

“The rabbit was on the stringy side,” Gils said, picking his teeth.

“No, no rabbit. The sacrifice has to be something worthwhile,” Eirik said, shooing me toward the trailers. Mikaela and Ramon had already gone off to get ready for their next show.

“What, exactly?” I asked. “You can stop trying to shove me, too. I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what you guys are going to sacrifice.”

Eirik sighed and looked up at the stars for a couple of seconds, like he was
so
put upon. “I hope the next goddess who binds us to her is much more reasonable. You need not worry, goddess Fran. We will sacrifice no mortals—only many Big Macs will be offered in the name of Loki.”

“And McNuggets,” Gils added. “With dipping sauces.”

“Yes, McNuggets as well,” Eirik said with an “are you happy now?” look on his face.

I smiled. “OK. That sounds fine. Knock yourselves out. I'm a bit tired so I think I'm going to find Ben to say good night, then go to bed early.”

“Good night, goddess,” they called to me as I headed for the Faire.

“Get the rest of the men together,” I heard Eirik say to his men as I left. “Tonight, we pillage McDonald's!”

“I really do not want to know,” I said to myself, hurrying so I wouldn't hear them making plans for taking the McNuggets hostage. “It's just better if I don't know.”

“What is?”

A man's voice emerged from the dark time-travel booth. Most of the booths, including Desdemona's, had closed during the magic shows.

At least I thought it had closed. “Ben?”

“Oh, Fran!” A light clicked on to show Ben and Desdemona standing much closer than I would have liked. Screw jealousy, Ben was mine! How dared she stand around in a dark booth with him. And how dared he allow her to do it! “I was just showing Benedikt my moonstone. If the moon is in the right quadrant, it casts a light in the darkness. Would you like to see it, too?”

What's wrong?
Ben asked, his eyes watching me carefully.

“No, thank you,” I said politely. “I'm tired. I'm going to bed. Enjoy your moonstone watching, or whatever it is you're doing.”

I spun around on my heels, my hands fisted, my jaw tight. And worst of all, my eyes were watering. I was so mad, I didn't know whether I wanted to hit Ben or cry.

This is not jealousy.
I ran up the steps to my trailer. Thankfully, Mom was still out doing things.
This is righteous indignation, Mister You're-the-Only-Woman-for-Me-I'd-Die-Without-You. You know what I say to that? Bullfrogs!

Fran,
Ben said, sighing into my head.
You
are
the only one for me. I
would
die without you. And I wasn't doing anything with Desdemona despite her manuevering.

Davide squatted on top of the counter and flattened his ears as I paced up and down the narrow aisle.

Ben laughed.
Of course. I'm not an idiot, sweetheart. I know when a woman desires me. But that doesn't mean I feel the same way toward her.

I thought about that for a minute. Davide's ears straightened up as I stopped to think.
You knew and yet you went anyway?

Davide hunkered down as I stormed past him and yanked open the door to the trailer. I intended to run back out to find Ben so I could punch him in the belly, as he deserved. Instead I stopped as he came up the steps.

“If I were to raise hell every time you spent a few minutes alone with Soren, what would you do?” he asked, walking toward me. I took a couple of backward steps past Davide, who was watching us with interest. “If I screamed and yelled and forbade you to spend time with any man, anywhere—your ghosts, Peter, Karl, and Kurt, anyone—would you mind?”

“Soren is a child. He doesn't have the hots for me.”

“Like hell he doesn't. His crush on you is evident to everyone.” Ben kept walking toward me, his face unexpressive, but his eyes were glowing a rich browny-gold.

“Kurt and Karl are having a fling with Absinthe,” I said, backing up another couple of steps.

“Doesn't matter. They could still be attracted to you, and you likewise.”

“Peter is old enough to be my dad.”

I bumped up against the door that led to the tiny bedroom at the end of the trailer.

Ben put his hands on each side of my head and leaned in, his breath brushing my face in a soft caress. Despite being angry at him, my stomach was twisting and turning happily because he had that look in his eye that he got whenever he kissed me. “How could any mortal man resist such a beautiful, alluring girl as you?”

“I don't care about the mortal ones,” I said, my breath coming short and fast as he leaned in even closer. I put my hand on his chest and let his feelings flow into me.

Tell me I'm interested in anyone but you
, he commanded, and as an answer, I brushed my lips against his, sliding my arms under his until we were pressed so tightly together, I couldn't tell where I ended and he began.

I might have overreacted a little
, I admitted as his tongue flicked over the corner of my mouth. I'd never been one for French kissing before Ben because, I mean—tongues! But it was different with him. It was exciting and wonderful and he tasted like the spicy mulled wine Mom had let me have a sip of last Christmas. My whole body went up in a rush of tingles as I kissed him back, intent on showing him that I appreciated his honesty.

His lips curved against mine in a smile.

He pulled away enough to laugh. “Ah, Fran, you never fail to delight me.”

“That's me, good ole entertaining Fran . . . oh. Hi, Mom.”

Over Ben's shoulder, my mother's face loomed angry and scowling. He pulled away and half turned to see her.

She tossed down her bag of Wiccan stuff and stood glaring at Ben. “I thought we had an agreement?”

Ben inclined his head slightly. “My apologies. Fran was upset with me, and I was simply trying to straighten things out.”

“Agreement?” I asked, licking my lower lip. I could still taste Ben on it, which made my legs feel like they were made of Jell-O. “What agreement?”

“If it happens again, you will leave me no choice,” Mom said in a cold voice. She moved aside so the open door could be seen, her arms crossed over her chest.

Ben turned back to me for a moment, caressing my cheek.
Good night, sweet Fran. Sleep well.

“Hey, wait a sec—Ben! You don't have to leave.”

He nodded at my mother, said good night to her, and without another look at me, left the trailer, closing the door behind him.

“What agreement?” I all but yelled, so frustrated I wanted to scream.

“I have told you before that he is not allowed in our trailer,” she answered, snatching her bag and brushing past me to get to her room. “I won't have you putting yourself in a dangerous position.”

“Dangerous position?” I said, following her to the door to her room. “With Ben? How dangerous can he be? I'm his frickin' Beloved!”

“He's a man,” she snapped, whirling around and marching back over to me. “I've seen the way he looks at you, and I will not allow him to use you that way.”

My mother has gone insane,
I told Ben.

“You set boundaries for me?” I yelled, so angry I felt like I was going to burst. “I am not a child! You can't treat me like one!”

“You are a minor and my daughter, and I will continue to look out for your interests so long as I need to,” she said, slamming her things into a drawer. “Yes, I set boundaries. Someone had to. It was clear to me that you are naive enough, and smitten enough, to allow Ben any liberty.”

My mouth hung open for a few seconds. “This is about sex, isn't it? You think I'm going to have sex with Ben? I just barely learned how to kiss him!”

“From what I saw a few minutes ago, you're very well along in your lessons. I will not have you throwing away your life on a . . . a . . .”

“Dark One?” I said, my arms wrapped tight around myself. I was so angry, so hurt that my mother didn't trust me one little bit, my body was shaking, my eyes puddled with tears of frustration.

“Vampire.” Mom spat the word out. “He may try to wrap it up in clean linen, but he's a vampire, Fran. Born of the dark powers, he is a parasite on the living, an abomination in the eyes of the Goddess.”

I grabbed the doorknob. “You can take your Goddess and stick her up your—”

“Fran!” Mom shrieked, her face black with anger.

“Ben is not evil. He is not a parasite or an abomination. He's a guy who just happens to be made a little different from most people. And he's my friend. No, he's my
boy
friend. And you can make all the agreements you want with him, but I am not going to honor them. You may not have any trust in me, but I believe in Ben. He'd never hurt me. Never!”

“You foolish, stupid girl,” Mom said.

I slammed the door closed, tears running down my face. I thought for a few seconds about running to Imogen's trailer and demanding to stay with them, but I knew my mother would drag me back, and I'd die if anyone saw that. Instead I grabbed my iPod, blanket, and pillow, and curled up on the couch, ignoring my mother when she came out a few minutes later.

“
G
ood morning, Fran.” Imogen stopped on her way past where I was slumped at one of the tables. She looked around the area, then glanced at me, her eyes widenening. “You look horrible.”

“That's always so flattering to hear,” I said, trying to shake my grumpy mood to give her a smile. It wasn't Imogen's fault my mother was so biased she couldn't understand about Ben and me. “If you're looking for Tibolt, he went off for his run about half an hour ago. Mikaela and Ramon went into town to have something with one of the chain saws fixed. Peter is off buying supplies for the horses . . . horse.”

“I've always felt flattery wasn't needed between friends,” she said, setting down her latte and taking a seat opposite me. Imogen wore a pair of white linen shorts, white tank top, and gauzy white and silver blouse over it. “You must have been up early to see everyone about their business.”

I eyed the tan leg she swung next to me. “Why is it that female Moravians can get a tan, but the men can't tolerate the sunlight?”

“It has something to do with the nature of the original curse, I believe,” Imogen said, shrugging slightly as she sipped her latte. “Now, are you going to tell my why you look so horrid this morning, or shall I have to guess?”

“Mom and I had a fight over Ben.”

“Ah,” she said, nodding.

I flicked a piece of orange peel from my breakfast into the nearby trash. “You're not surprised?”

“That your mother is threatened by Benedikt? No. She would not be a loving parent if she wasn't concerned for you.”

“Oh, not you too,” I said, rubbing my forehead. “I'm sixteen. I'm not a child! I don't need someone watching out for me. I'm perfectly able to take care of myself. I'm a Beloved, for heaven's sake!”

“No, Fran, you're not,” she said, setting down her cup and taking my hand in hers. I'd only recently started allowing Imogen to touch my hands. She had a lot of emotions that I didn't think were any of my business, but I knew she loved Ben, and liked me a lot, so I didn't flinch when she took my hand, giving it a little squeeze. “You were born to be his Beloved, yes. But you have not yet completed the seven steps to Joining with him, and until you do that, you cannot comprehend what it is to bind yourself to one man for an eternity. You cannot imagine what you will be sacrificing in order to be his Beloved. Your mother understands some of that, and she's just trying to protect you as best she can.”