Chapter Fourteen
Moonlight shone off the slick marble steps as Verity ran up to the town hall.
Mother Nature had won the battle between wind and umbrella the moment she got off the bus, and more than a few suit-clad vampires watched her as she trudged through the foyer, heading for the staircase that would take her to Theo.
Smoothing her wet hair back, she rounded the corner to see two other people already waiting for him. He had told her to come whenever she wanted, but she didn’t want to disrupt his day.
Stella looked up as she approached, eyes widening. “Verity!” She started flicking through sticky notes and checking her computer. “I haven’t got you in today.” No smile or sneer, no smart arse comments, just a messy desk and lights flashing on her intercom.
“He told me to come whenever, but I can…”
“Did he now? Does he realise how busy he is?” she snapped, pointing at a woman waiting by the door, attempting to ignore them.
The door opened and two men and a woman walked out, vampires who walked straight up to Stella as if Verity didn’t exist. “You’re to get us the quarterly energy forecast for renewables.”
Stella slapped a sticky note on the desk. “Write down what you want. I’ll have it to you by Monday.”
“But the mayor said…” the vampire started, but Stella was already making for the office.
“You’ll have it Monday!” she snapped, marching in and slamming the door.
Good gods. Verity only wanted to discuss the lie she was going to have to tell Cora, she could wait.
Stella stormed back out, the door banging and rattling on its hinges. “Go on. Chop chop,” she said to Verity and the woman by the door stood.
“She doesn’t even have an appointment! I’ve been waiting…”
“She’s his donor,” Stella replied. “Maybe he’ll be more generous on a full stomach.”
Even for Stella it felt a slightly vulgar thing to say but Verity ignored it, offering the woman a sympathetic look and saying, “I’m sorry, we’ll be quick,” as she slipped into the office.
Moonlight spilled across the vast room, illuminating the mayor sat at his desk, collar loose, back hunched, massaging his temples. Spotting Verity, he straightened, trying to smile until she said, “Don’t bother.”
The poor attempt at a smile fell at her words.
She walked past her normal chair, made her way around the desk and took his hand in hers.
“What’s going on?” she asked. His eyes were on the hand she held, perhaps trying to decide if he should pull it back or not.
“I can wait. If I’d realised you were so busy… ”
“No,” he murmured. “You needed to see me.”
“Are you hungry?” He shouldn’t be, but his eyes were dark and he wasn’t mad, just… drained.
She shrugged off her coat and rolled up a sleeve.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m fine. Just got a lot on my plate.”
He still took her hand though, massaging her palm like he did before drinking. Running his fingers over her veins.
“Anything I can help with?”
A humourless laugh. “Not unless you actually want to organise a festival Madam Mayor. I’ll be fine; just need to catch up this weekend.”
“The Ostara Festival? You do that yourself? I thought you were joking.” This was the Lord Mayor, not a glorified party planner. Surely, he had more important things to do. He didn’t have time for that.
“Staff cuts,” he sighed. “The High Council is advising to cancel festivals. If people want to go, they’ll have to go to a bigger city.”
“Well, that’s shit.” Verity loved the festivals, some of her fondest childhood memories were making flower crowns for Ostara and going on hayrides for Mabon.
Ashhaven was a nice town, but it wasn’t the most affluent.
If the festivals were cut, most families wouldn’t take their kids to another city just to see dancing and bonfires.
“I’ll work it out,” Theo said, looking up at her, at her pinched brow and downcast eyes. “You needed to see me? Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” His cool hands warmed against her, heat seeping from her flesh into his. “I’m going to see my friend…”
“Cora?”
“Yeah. She’s going to ask about my date last night…”
“You told her?” His eyes snapped to her and she shook her head.
“She saw me dressed up and asked if I had a date. What was I meant to say?”
He nodded.
“I thought,” she went on, “that I could tell her it’s another donor. She’s wary of the Exchange, so I don’t think she’ll ask too many questions, and I already mentioned a guy I met at induction to her…”
“You did?” His hands tightened around hers. “Who?”
“Just the guy I sat next to, Adam. He…”
“Have you seen him since?”
“Yes,” Verity smirked. Jealousy had never been a trait she found particularly attractive, but the way Theo pulled her closer, wanting to know details of her other imaginary boyfriend made her pulse quicken.
“Are you sure you’re not hungry?” she asked, voice low and filled with want. “Just a little nip?”
He stood, trapping her against the desk and raising her wrist to his mouth. “Tell me and I’ll think about it.”
“We go to the same support group, and I saw him at the club that first time. His vampire’s called Bea.”
Fangs dragged against her wrist leaving tiny scratches stinging in their wake. He hummed. “Fine,” his lips brushed against her as he spoke. “I’ll mention it to Bea, just in case. But you stay away from him.”
“Theo,” she crooned, but without warning he bit; sinking his teeth in deep and pulling her body hard against his. A gasp of shock and pain and pleasure escaped her. She tried to look away but he grabbed her by the jaw, forcing her to watch as he withdrew.
“No other men, Verity.” Blood oozed from the twin wounds, threatening to drip on his perfect white shirt as he waited for a response.
She nodded. “There’s no one else.”
Satisfied he licked, slow and purposeful, healing her. Tasting her.
His phone buzzed, breaking the spell. Shoving him off her, she moved out of his reach, putting the desk between them.
“That isn’t fair.”
“What isn’t fair?” he asked, leaning towards her, watching her every move.
“You!” she said, yanking her sleeve down and grabbing her coat, trying her best not to shout. “We can’t be together, but we have to pretend, but I can’t see anyone else, but you don’t want me.” Her chest felt tight, breaths too thin.
“I never said that…”
“It always ends badly…” she mimicked.
“That doesn’t mean… Verity… I…” he rubbed a hand over his face. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“No,” she snapped. “You shouldn’t have!”
They stood for a moment, neither knowing what to say.
“I know that there’ll be times when… we need to put on a show,” she said. “To convince everyone I belong to you, but when it’s just us…”
“I know.” He stared down at the desk.
“It’s confusing, Theo,” she pleaded. She couldn’t live like this, but she could see the pressure he was under. A man about to break.
“When do you want to feed?” she asked. Their next appointment wasn’t for three days, the couple of drops he’d just had wouldn’t last him until then.
“Sunday?” he asked. “I can pick you up, take you back to mine for a bit. I’ll behave, I promise.”
Verity nodded. They had discussed her visiting him at home, so it made sense. As long as he behaved of course.
“Oh, and Elliot’s invited us to the theatre.”
“Us?” she asked and Theo laughed, his smile looking almost genuine.
“I think they’re looking forward to seeing you more than me.”
“Sounds like a date,” she winked. “See you Sunday.”
A third person had joined the queue to see Theo when she exited the room. All three watched her as she headed over to Stella.
“Better?” Stella asked her, and Verity wasn’t sure if she meant her or Theo. She was about to tell her she honestly didn’t know when the door opened again.
“I am so sorry to have kept you waiting,” Theo said to the woman by the door, beaming and offering a hand. “I was just reading your proposal and must say there are some truly insightful points.”
“Err… thank you?” the woman said, following him into the office.
Theo closed the door behind them, sparing Verity one last smile as he did.
“I’ll have what he’s having,” Stella muttered, plucking a stick note from her monitor and tossing it in the bin.
“Don’t,” Verity said, attempting to ignore the devious look on the vampire’s face. “I’ll see you Monday.”
Stella waved and Verity headed out, grateful to find the rain had finally stopped as she walked to the cafe.
What had just happened? Verity made no secret of her feelings, she didn’t see the point.
Any vampire would be able to read her like a book.
Her heart, her breathing, her smell. Lying wasn’t an option.
He always knew, and he never reciprocated.
There was the growling, but he was hungry.
There was the club, but that was to prove a point.
Moments of more had seeped in when they were with Elliot and the others, but he apologised for that. Made it clear it wasn’t real, it wasn’t happening again. That they weren’t really together.
The story of Isabella broke her heart. Theo insisted he wouldn’t let something like that happen again and she believed him.
Until he grabbed her face. Until he forced her to watch him. No audience, no one to convince, just him and her. Perfectly alone. Perfectly desperate. One mention of another man and he snapped.
Theo needed to decide what he wanted, and decide fast, because Verity couldn’t take it. Pretending was one thing, but if he expected her to be the better person, to fight him off if he tried something like that again, he had another thing coming.
As the cafe came into view, Verity pushed thoughts of Theo from her mind. Today was about Cora. She’d answer any questions she threw at her, whatever it took to distract her friend from Toby and the Cafe.
Cora looked up from the counter the moment she walked in. Then smiled, then squealed, then ran straight at Verity.
“What the fuck did you do, you crazy bitch?”
Verity caught her in a hug but could barely hold on as Cora jumped up and down. “I might need some context, babe.” There was no end of incriminating things she had done recently, and Verity wasn’t about to own up to the wrong one.
“Does the name Elliot Wysall ring a bell?” Cora asked, and Verity’s heart almost stopped. Why the fuck would Cora know about Elliot?
“Maaayybe… why? What’s happened?”
“Verity! How the hell would you meet a guy like that?”
Oh, gods. Context, she needed context. Had someone told her about SubRosa? Did she know about Theo?
“I met him through a friend. You know, donors and vampires and that.”
“Well,” Cora dragged Verity towards the counter, pushing her into a seat.
“I got a call this evening, asking if I was friends with a certain Verity Harper. I said yes and they offered me a contract! They said you bigged me up to Mr Wysall and he wants to send trainees here for lunch!” Tears filled Cora’s eyes as she spoke. “Thirty meals a day, minimum!”
Verity didn’t know what to say, thirty customers might not sound like much, but the café would be full, something Verity hadn’t seen since they were kids.
“That’s incredible,” she said as Cora thrust the contract into her hands. A contract written by Charles Pinchbeck Legal Associates and signed by Edward Heap. Those sneaky bastards.
Cora started rattling on about suppliers and set menus and hiring staff.
“Don’t worry about staff. I’ll help out until you get settled,” Verity told her, earning another hug.
“I don’t know what you said, but you’ve saved me.”
“It was nothing.” It really was. One off hand comment, that’s all it took.
“I don’t even know how to thank you.”
“Please, don’t thank me,” she begged. “Although, I might need a hand contacting some local businesses.”
“Oh really? Tell me more.”
So, the two set about planning and just like that, not only had Elliot saved her friend’s cafe from ruin, he’d also saved Verity from having to explain her date to Cora.