All I Want for Christmas Is a Vampire - By Kerrelyn Sparks Page 0,100

the panther flew past him, hit the ground, and rolled onto its feet. Toni had landed on top of Jedrek. She dove to the left just as the panther pounced. Jedrek shrieked as razor-sharp claws ripped through his shirt and scored his chest with bloody stripes.

Toni screamed and scooted away on her rump. The panther looked at her, then turned toward the bar, its amber eyes narrowing on the three Malcontents. They teleported away. Jedrek, too. The cat, realizing its prey had escaped, roared in anger.

Dougal and Phineas approached slowly, their swords pointed at the beast. "Shall we kill it?" Dougal asked. "Nay!" Ian shouted. "Leave him be." The panther swung toward him, snarling, then focused its familiar amber eyes on Toni. As its head

turned, Ian noted the gleam of two gold studs in its pointed ears. Of course. He should have known. But he would have never guessed a panther. The giant cat stalked toward Toni. "No." She scrambled back and tried to get to her feet, but her legs were shaking. Ian flung himself in front of her. "Carlos, no." The panther growled low in its throat.

"Carlos?" Toni whispered. Ian heard a dull thud and glanced back. Toni was sprawled on the floor in a dead faint. "Och, lass." He squatted beside her and brushed her hair from her face.

"That's Carlos?" Phineas lowered his sword and whistled under his breath. "Hello, kitty." The panther padded toward Toni on its huge paws. Ian was relieved to see its claws were in, but

those teeth were awfully sharp. One nip and Toni would be a were-panther for life. Was that what Carlos wanted? The cat lowered its head to sniff her. "By all the saints, doona bite her," Ian whispered. The panther whipped its thick tail around so hard and fast, it knocked Ian onto his knees. Then it

trotted toward Vanda's office. Toni had left the door slightly ajar, and the cat squeezed through.

"I thought he smelled like a shape shifter," Dougal said. "But I assumed he would be a black wolf." "Me, too." Ian supposed Carlos was headed back to the harem room to change and dress. When

Sabrina screamed, he knew the panther had arrived. "God, I hate shape shifters." Vanda had found her whip and was looping it around her waist. "You know of them?" Ian asked.

小??. 184 懈蟹 235

Vanda shrugged. "Long story. Just get that cat out of here, okay?" "He saved Toni's life," Phineas reminded her. "She wouldn't have needed saving if she'd followed orders," Vanda snapped. "You should fire her

ass, Ian."

"No!" Cora Lee strode toward Vanda. "Toni cut me free. She freed all the hostages. And she kept that terrible Nadia from killing you, Vanda. Land sakes, I've never seen a mortal be so brave." "Okay, okay, she's brave." Vanda tightened her whip. "But she still can't follow orders." Yes, she'd disobeyed a direct order. Ian tamped down on the anger simmering inside him. She'd

disobeyed him and come bloody close to dying. And he'd been helpless to save her. If it hadn't been for Carlos...his anger spiked. Dammit. That was the real cause of his anger. Carlos had saved her. He had not.

He heard her moan softly. He patted her cheek, and her eyelids flickered. "Toni, wake up." She blinked at him with a dazed look. "What happened?" "Ye fainted." She struggled to sit up. "That's crazy. I never faint." She looked around. "The Malcontents?" "They teleported away," Ian explained. "I doubt we'll see them again tonight. Jedrek's in bad

shape." Toni looked around again. "Carlos? He's a--?" "Were-panther." Ian helped her to her feet. "It's rather unusual." "Well, duh." She glanced up at the shattered wooden screen. "I didn't think such creatures

existed." "I've never known one who shifted to a cat." Ian noticed Hugo stumbling into the nightclub. His

hands were tied behind his back with silver rope, and blood oozed from a bullet wound in his thigh. "Oh my God!" Vanda rushed to him. "We'll take him back to Romatech," Ian offered. "Laszlo can remove the bullet." "I'll take him." Dougal grabbed Hugo's arm, and they both vanished. With a sigh, Vanda ran a hand through her short, spiky hair. "Everyone's gone, so I'm closing for

the night. I just hope the customers will come back, that we're not ruined."

"Land sakes, don't you worry about that," Cora Lee said. "This place will be notorious. We'll be packing them in." "I hope so." Vanda set an overturned chair upright. "Let's get the place cleaned up." Cora Lee surveyed