All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire

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 the room, frowning. "Lady Pamela sure picked the right night to take off." Ian grabbed Toni and teleported to the VIP room. Phineas arrived shortly after them. Sabrina

gasped at their sudden appearance and retreated across the room.

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Carlos was back in his human form and gave them a nervous glance as he buttoned his shirt. Toni approached him slowly. "You saved my life." "I wanted to tell you about my...condition, but--" He glanced at Sabrina, who was regarding him

with horror. "I didn't want to lose your friendship." "Carlos." Toni wrapped her arms around him. "You will always be my friend." He hugged her back. "Thank you, menina. You know I would do anything for you." She gave him a wry look. "I thought I saw a puddy tat." He grinned. "You did, you did." They both laughed. Ian felt a mixture of emotion--a twinge of jealousy and a surge of pride. Toni

was so generous and accepting. She'd risked her life to save Vamps she didn't even know, and she remained loyal to her friends no matter what. "It's not funny," Sabrina muttered from across the room. "I saw him change. It was awful."

"It was awesome, man." Teddy blushed. "Though it was kinda freaky when he started stripping." "That was nothing," Sabrina argued. "What about the black fur sprouting out and the claws and the sound of bones breaking and shifting?" She shuddered.

"Yeah, that was cool." Teddy's face brightened with excitement. "Do you have a name, dude? Like Panther-Man?"

"No." Carlos sat on a low table to put on his socks and shoes. "Oh, come on." Teddy sat beside him. "You superheroes are totally ignorant about how to behave. How do you expect to get famous without cool names?"

"We doona want fame." Ian stood in front of Teddy. "Listen to me. Ye canna speak of us. Ever. If

the outside world learned of our existence, they would kill us." "That's true." Carlos slipped on his shoes. "My kind was discovered by a land developer in the Amazon. He sent out hunters to destroy us all. They're tracking down my people and killing them."

Toni pressed a hand to her chest. "Carlos, I'm so sorry. That's terrible." "I managed to save some of the children. Their parents were slaughtered." "Those are the orphans you're supporting?" Toni asked. Carlos nodded. "Five of them. Our numbers are dwindling fast. I've been searching Malaysia

because there are panthers in the jungle, and odd stories are told in the villages. I've been hoping

to locate more of my kind." "I'll tell Angus," Ian said. "He'll be happy to fund yer research. His company has always been supportive of were-folk."

Carlos's amber eyes gleamed. "That would be wonderful, thank you." "What other kinds of shifters are there?" Teddy asked.

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"Most of the ones I've met are wolves." Ian went to the refreshment table to pour himself a Bleer. "Of course, Howard isn't."

"What?" Toni looked confused. "Howard's a shape shifter?" Carlos helped himself to a sandwich off the refreshment table. "You said it yourself, Toni. He's a teddy bear."

Ian snorted. "No' nearly as cuddly as a teddy bear once he's shifted, believe me." Toni's mouth dropped open. "My supervisor is a bear?" "Aye. Howard Barr." Ian drained his glass. "That is so incredibly awesome," Teddy whispered. "No, it isn't!" Sabrina screamed. "I can't take it. Panthers and vampires and bears--" "Oh my!" Phineas quipped. "You're all monsters!" Sabrina edged toward the main staircase. "I'm getting out of here!" "Bri, wait!" Toni ran toward her. "You can't go. You have no money. No ID." "And the police are looking for you," Carlos added. "Like that's my fault?" Sabrina glared at them. "You took me from my room." "We rescued you," Toni said, frowning. "You made me a penniless fugitive." Sabrina lifted her chin. "Now I'm going to my apartment to

get the key to my safety deposit box. I have a passport in there and lots of cash, so I don't have to

hang around with monsters!" Carlos walked toward her. "You can't go to your apartment, Bri. The police will look for you there. And it's a good ten hours before the banks open."

"I am not spending the night with vampires!"

"Calm down, menina." Carlos raised his hands. "I'll take you somewhere safe for the night. Another hotel." "I'm not going anywhere with you." Tears streamed down Sabrina's face. "You're an animal." Carlos halted, and he scowled at her. "That's why I never told you my secret. Vanderkitty told me

you couldn't handle the truth." Sabrina gasped. "You--you talk to my cat?" Ian was fast losing patience. There was no way he was letting Sabrina leave with the knowledge

she now possessed.

Sabrina glared at Carlos. "You said you had orphans for our orphanage, but they're animals like you." Carlos's face flushed with rage. "They're children in need of a home and education. And

compassion."

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Sabrina wiped tears from her face. "I can't possibly put them with normal children. They might bite them or...eat them."

"Enough!" Ian moved toward Toni as he sent a psychic message to Phineas to take Sabrina. "Miss Vanderwerth, yer fear is an unfortunate result of yer ignorance."

She gasped. "How dare you!"

Ian wrapped an arm around Toni. "Ye and yer friend are coming to Romatech. No arguing. No disobeying." That earned him a dirty look from her. He glanced at Carlos. "Ye can come if ye like."

"I'll come tomorrow," Carlos said. "And I'll bring Teddy."

Sabrina squealed when Phineas grabbed her. Ian vanished, taking Toni with him.

Chapter Twenty-two

"They're holding us prisoner!" Sabina trudged about the silver room.

"They're keeping us safe." Toni opened a can of chicken noodle soup and poured it into a saucepan. "This room is lined with silver so no vampires can teleport in."

She didn't dare tell her friend that she knew how to unlock the door. The last thing they needed was Bri running around White Plains, claiming she'd seen vampires and were-panthers. She'd end up back in Shady Oaks before the night was over.

Bri collapsed into an easy chair. "This is crazy."

Toni stirred the soup as it heated on the stove. "You'll find it easier to accept everything once all the drugs are out of your system."

"Why would I want to accept vampires? And Carlos--I can't believe him. I feel so betrayed."

"Your uncle was the one who betrayed you." Toni tamped down on the anger she'd been squelching for hours. First Ian had tried to order her around. Vanda had treated her like a lowly worm. Carlos had somehow forgotten to tell her he was a shape shifter, even after she'd told him about vampires. And Sabrina was acting like they'd ruined her life instead of rescuing her.

Toni gritted her teeth. "I'm sure Carlos can't help being born a shape shifter, no more than I could help being born an illegitimate embarrassment."

Sabrina yawned. "That's it, isn't it? You accept all these...weirdos because they're outcasts, and you've always felt like an outcast, too."

Toni started to argue, but paused. Sabrina could be right. She'd always felt a natural empathy toward anyone who felt unworthy or didn't fit in. Ian's fear that he didn't deserve true love because of his jaded past--that had touched her deeply. It had made her determined to prove him wrong. And her eagerness tonight to jump into danger to rescue Vamps--was she still trying to prove she was worthy?

"I can't believe you're working for the Undead," Bri grumbled. "I mean, you get attacked by vampires, and then you go to work for them? That's crazy."

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"There's a world of difference between the Malcontents who attacked us and the Vamps I've been working for." Toni poured soup into two bowls and brought them to the table. "They both look violent to me." Sabrina sat at the table and yawned. "I'm so tired." "You've been on some strong meds." Toni set two spoons on the table.

Bri rubbed her eyes. "I can't believe I saw one of my best friends turn into a panther." "We'll try to get you back to a normal life as soon as possible. You'll need your IDs. Do you know where your handbag is? Shady Oaks or your uncle's house?"

Bri ate some soup while she considered. "I don't remember much. I think it's still at Uncle Joe's house." "We'll get it back." Bri frowned. "When you say we, you mean you and that vampire?" "Yes. Ian."

"He was bossing you around." "He was anxious to keep me safe." Toni had realized too late how vulnerable she would be. She'd always fought well in practice sessions, but the good Vamps fought with honor. The Malcontents resorted to vanishing and taking hostages. "It's hard to compete with a vampire."

"Exactly." Bri set down her spoon. "You can't compete with them, Toni. You don't belong in their world. Whatever possessed you to join up with them?"

"I did it for you. I wanted to find proof that they existed, so I could prove you weren't delusional." Bri's eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry. Here I am, giving you a hard time, when you've been such a good friend. You've always been there for me."

Tears burned Toni's eyes. "Careful, or we'll both start blubbering." Bri sniffed. "It scares me for you to be with those creatures. I don't want to lose you." "You haven't lost me." Bri frowned. "You said you were in love with him." Toni set down her spoon. "I am." "How long have you known him? A week?" "A little bit longer." Toni took her bowl to the sink. "But not very long. Can a relationship forged that quickly last an entire lifetime?" Toni rinsed out her bowl, then cleaned the saucepan. Bri's comments stung, but she knew her

friend was truly concerned about her. "I'm not sure how things will work out." Or if they even could. "But I do know I love him." "He's very good-looking, I'll grant you that, but Toni, he's dead."

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"Only half the time."

"You want half a life?" Sabrina yawned again.

"Go on to bed. You're exhausted." Toni took her bowl to the sink.

"We've been working on our plan for ten years."

"I know." Toni rinsed out her bowl.

"You can't live in both worlds, Toni."

She turned and saw Bri climbing into bed. The same bed where she'd seen Ian in his death-sleep, where she'd touched the dimple in his chin. "I really do love him."

"It was a chapter in your life, but it's over," Bri whispered. "Just like the hell I've been through the past week. It's time for us to move on."

Toni turned down the lights so Bri could sleep. Then she collapsed in the easy chair. A dull ache was spreading in her chest. It grew more and more as reality sank in.

For the last ten years, she'd clung to their mission of the orphanage. It had kept her going when the workload from school had seemed too hard. It had given her a noble purpose and identity when she'd felt unimportant and unworthy. She hadn't expected Ian to come into her life, or love to bloom in her heart and make her feel whole.

A few times during the last week, she'd felt pulled between two worlds--her new world with the Vamps and her old world with Bri. When Ian had offered to help her rescue Bri, she'd felt elated, as if the two worlds were finally connecting and she could have both.

The ache in her chest intensified, squeezing her heart. What if the two worlds could never coexist? What if she was forced to choose? How could she fail Sabrina after all they'd been through? How could she ever give up Ian?

It was midmorning when Toni awoke in the large bed. She glanced at Sabrina sleeping peacefully beside her and wondered where Ian was spending his daily death-sleep. Probably next door with the other guys.

She showered and skipped her morning affirmations. They seemed like a cruel joke now. Yes, she was worthy to be loved, but that didn't guarantee it would work out. She dressed in her uniform and slipped her cell phone into a pants pocket. Time to go see the bear. Her supervisor.

She took the elevator to the first floor, then strode down the hall. What kind of bear was he, anyway? A friendly little brown Boo Boo Bear or a huge grizzly? An image flitted through her mind of Howard turning bright yellow and fluffy with a sunburst on his tummy. She snorted. Well, why not? If vampires could be real, so could Care Bears.

She passed some mortal employees going about their daily work. As far as they knew, they were making synthetic blood for hospitals. They were, actually. They had no idea that the night shift consisted of Vamps who were making Chocolood, Blood Lite, Bubbly Blood, Blissky, and Bleer.

Night and day. Two different worlds. Could she possibly live in both?

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She passed by Constantine's closed nursery. She missed the little guy. As she walked past Shanna's dental office, she noted the sign on the door. On vacation, will return soon. Shanna, who managed to exist in both worlds, still had major problems keeping herself and her family safe.