A Vampire for Christmas - By Michele Hauf Page 0,24
of hope jabbed at his insides, trying to find a place to settle in and take hold. But he wouldn’t let it. He couldn’t.
A group of clubgoers approached. They were within earshot, so he hesitated and waited for them to pass.
“I love this little store,” Charlotte remarked, dragging his attention to the lighted display window. “Notice how all the elements are different and yet they work so well, grouped together like this.”
He saw an eclectic mix of knit caps and scarves, hand-painted nutcrackers, driftwood picture frames, and antique toy trains. He would never have thought to lump such different items together, but she did have a point.
They continued walking and with each step he took, his heart grew heavier and heavier. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye. A few minutes later, they reached a small city park overlooking the water, empty at this time of night.
“Listen, Charlotte.” He reached for her hand, pulling her down to the park bench with him. “Before I tell you what’s going on, you need to know one thing. I would never do anything to hurt or harm you.”
“You said that already.”
No matter how much he wanted to, he wouldn’t tell her that he loved her or admit to knowing her last year. Because that would make his logic sound even more self-centered than it already was.
It’s the holidays and I didn’t want to be alone, so I lied to you again. Jesus, what an asshole.
He’d tell her a limited version of the truth, because she at least deserved that. Then he’d do what he needed to do and never see her again. For real, this time.
“I have a feeling this is going to be complicated,” Charlotte said when he didn’t start talking right away. “Tell me about your freaky ex-girlfriend. What’s that all about?”
He laughed at her frankness. “First of all, she’s not my ex.”
Charlotte narrowed her eyes. “You certainly seemed to know each other.”
“She knows who I am, but I’ve never seen or met her before tonight. Because of my position, I am known among people who are…like me.”
“Which is?”
His heart thudded heavily in his chest with the anticipation of what he was about to tell her. He had never breathed a word about who he was to any human before—he’d never come close. Lying about himself when he was with them was almost second nature. To keep their existence secret was written in the old edicts—he’d read them with his own eyes. He exhaled loudly and ran a hand through his hair. “Leona and I are what used to be called Night Brethren—now, we’re simply referred to as…as vampires.”
There, he’d said it. He watched as Charlotte’s eyes widened. He couldn’t tell if she was going to laugh or cry. “You’re serious? You…you really are a vampire?”
“Yes.”
“You mean blood drinking and all that?”
“We do need small amounts of human blood to survive, as well as human energies.”
Sitting on the edge of the bench, her back rigid, she stared out, lights from the city mirrored in her eyes. “This is just so unreal, Trace. I mean, I saw her fangs and all, but…” She snapped her head around. “You’re not messing with me, are you?”
“I wish it were a joke. But, no.”
She studied his face as if trying to decide whether or not to believe him. Finally, when she spoke again, her voice was quiet, yet firm. “When’s the last time you had blood? Have you…done that to me? Would I have known if you had?”
“We have the ability to take away a human’s memory when that happens. However, I’ve not taken blood from a human host in years, only from a vial. So no, I’ve never taken yours.”
She visibly relaxed. “And Leona?”
“Probably. Most of our kind do, but because of my position with our Council, I don’t. We believe that our kind can live peacefully among yours. Or I should say, because of my potential position with the Council.”
“Leona seems to think you’re on this Council.”
He briefly explained the situation, including what had gone on with his uncle. Then he told her about Sweet blood addictions and Darkbloods, leaving out as much of the gore as he could.
“I can’t believe it,” she said, shaking her head.
He braced himself. All of this had to be a hell of a shock and—
“So they’re going to hold the actions of someone else against you? Someone who wasn’t guilty of a crime in the first place? Your great-uncle was an old man, for God’s sake. And someone