Santa Vamp
Prologue
Garrett sat staring at the cold fireplace. He felt as dead as it looked. Garrett had been on this earth for over two hundred and fifty years, and he was sick of life. He was sick of watching humanity destroy themselves and everything around them. He was sick of watching the greed and hostility humans had for one another. And they called him a monster. Ha!
He’d given up on humanity numerous years ago. And while he would be the very first to applaud technology, after all, it had certainly made life easier for all; he despised the fact that humankind let his greed rule him.
No, the only good thing humans represented these days was a reliable food source. Even that had changed over the years. The days of people eating what they grew and raised and eating many fruit and vegetables were gone. He thought back to his first meal after they introduced that awful stuff called margarine. Manufacturers instructed people to add artificial coloring to the goopy mess. He remembered thinking, surely humans would not do this! But oh, how wrong he was!
Yes, they added artificial coloring to fake butter, and that had just been the beginning. Today’s humans drank sodas like it was water, stopped at fast food places for greasy burgers and fries entirely too often for lunch, and then went home at night for more frozen junk or easy-to-cook meals, all of which was full of artificial junk.
Translate all of that junk food and artificial ingredients into a vampire’s one meal a day, and it was not pretty. Garrett had gotten to the point that the only way he could stomach dinner was to suck and swallow and turn off his taste buds completely. Because unfortunately, the sour taste of most human blood nowadays left little to be desired and often turned his stomach.
He stood up from his seat as darkness finally descended utterly. “Time to go try and find some dinner,” he murmured to himself with a frown, not even wanting to put forth the energy to go into town.
Chapter 1
“Finally, time to lock up and go home,” Bree sighed with relief as she stood up and stretched out her back. It had been a long ten-hour day, but she’d be smiling when her next paycheck came. She had been pulling extra hours for the past two weeks, ever since her co-worker, Joy, had been ordered complete bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy.
She walked over to the front door and put up the closed sign before locking the door. She grabbed her purse from under the counter and walked into the back room. She looked at the two big green trash bags and sighed. Where was a big, strong, muscular man when you needed one?
Seeing no other options, she drug both bags over to the back door. The load was heavy, and she had to put muscle into just dragging them across the floor. Oh, but those bags were going home with her tonight, one way or another. She had waited long enough.
Bree pushed open the back door and frowned as she glanced out at the now dark parking lot. Her car sat by itself. Why was it so dark? Then she realized that one of the two streetlights was out. “Just freaking great,” she muttered to herself. It probably was due to some punk kids throwing rocks up at it until it busted.
She heaved a sigh and grabbed one of the bags. Trying to pick it up partially, she had taken about three steps across the parking lot when the bottom of the bag gave out, spilling the contents all over the pavement.
***
Garrett was combing the back streets and alleys for a meal when he heard a noise. Turning towards the sound, he watched as a lone female came out of the back door to the second-hand store with a bag full of loot. Only the dumb lady had been a little too greedy because she no sooner got out the door before the bottom of the bag gave out, and everything fell all over the concrete. Even though he was across the street, it was easy to pick up on her frustration with his enhanced vision and hearing. Garrett observed her falling to her knees, trying to scoop up her treasures. Geez, she must be hard up to be stealing from the second-hand store.
He continued watching her as she started stacking everything in piles. And then she began to cry. Damn and double damn, but he could not stand to see a woman cry. Even one that was stealing from a second-hand store. As much as he knew he should walk away and act as if he had never seen her, something tugged on his cold, dead heart. Before he knew it, he had crossed the street and was walking across the parking lot.
He knew she hadn’t realized he was approaching her; she was still sobbing as she lovingly caressed….baby clothes? This lady had robbed the second-hand store for baby clothes, toys, and other infant items. Garrett quickly realized he couldn’t identify half the mess. What the hell? Was this lady truly that hard up?
He scuffed his feet across the pavement on purpose as to alert her of his arrival. When she looked up, he was staring at the prettiest set of blue eyes he had ever seen. And then her scent hit him. Peaches and cream, and it was all he could do to keep his fangs retracted up in his gums. Dammit, all to hell! His mate was a thief! How had fate allowed this to happen? Wasn’t the fact that he been forced to live in secrecy all this time, always covering his tracks, bad enough? Now, after two hundred and fifty years, he finally meets his mate, and while at first glance she was not hard on the eyes at all, he didn’t like the fact that she was a thief.
“Can I help you with that?” The question popped out of his mouth while his conscience screamed, yeah, let’s be an accessory to a robbery.
“You know,” Garrett continued without even giving her a chance to answer, “Places like this will assist those in need. You don’t have to steal.”
She stood up and placed her little hands on her hips. She wasn’t but about five-two, five-three at most, and she was a tiny thing compared to Garrett’s six-one. But those hands were on her hips, and he could see her getting fired up. He just knew the minute she opened her mouth; he was not going to like it. He didn’t have long to wait.
“For your information, asshole, I am not stealing any of this! I work here and have spent a lot of my hard-earned money on this stuff. If you are going just to stand there and be all reprimanding when you have no idea what is going on, I will kindly ask you just to go crawl back in the hole you came out of.” She leaned down and started picking up some of the piles of clothing she had been stacking neatly.
“Damn arrogant men!” he heard her mutter as she began walking over to her car.
For the first time in too many years to count, emotions started coursing through his body. He felt terrible that he had wrongly accused this young woman of stealing. Yet, at the same time, all he wanted to do was snatch her up and kiss her until she was entirely under his spell and then take her back to his home and make love to her for the night. And just when did that part of his anatomy come back to life? He glanced down at the tent in his trousers. Good grief, if the woman were to spot his erection, she would certainly think he was up to no good. Several different emotions ran through Garrett all at once, and it took him a moment to analyze each one. The devil who seemed to sit on one shoulder was currently whispering to him, “Just grab your dinner and be done with her. Who cares what she is doing or why? It’s none of our concern. She’s just another human.”
But then there was another voice, much weaker but gentle. “You can’t just walk away from a woman in need of help, especially after you’ve hurt her feelings. And it is your concern as to what she is doing! She is your mate! And if she is in trouble, it is your job to straighten things out!”
“Oh hell,” he muttered to himself as he reached down and scooped up an armful of items and carried them over to her car.
“Look, I’m sorry. I made a very erroneous judgment call, and it was incredibly insensitive of me. My name is Garrett, by the way. Please let me make it up to you by helping you with this.”
Her head came out from under the trunk to glare at him. “Okay, Mr. Garrett, if you are truly sorry, you can make it up to me by carrying the other bag that is sitting right inside the door.”
Garrett smiled, actually smiled! His jaw immediately felt weird after not using those muscles in so very long. But he would examine that later. For now, she seemed to be giving him a second chance, and why he even cared about that, he couldn’t say at the moment, but he was unexplainably happy.
As they both walked away from her trunk, he attempted to get to know a bit about her. “So, you work here? Why would your boss leave a woman to close up by herself at night? Doesn’t your husband care that you are out after dark by yourself?” He didn’t want to hear about her husband if she had one, but then again, there was no wedding ring on her finger.
What was it with humans these days? Men seemed not to care one way or another if a woman was left unescorted. Hell, from what he could tell, most didn’t even seem to care that their wife had to work to pay the bills. Yes, technology had made life so much more comfortable in many ways, but there had been things lost along the way. Morales, principles, and values. Something that, as far as Garrett was concerned, technology could never replace, and the world was in far worse shape without them.
She turned and glared at him. “Look, if you have come to rob me, you are out of luck. We only had two customers and five drunks come in today, and the paying customers paid by check. I have no cash on me. Now, why don’t you just run along before I call the police?”
Does she think I am here to rob her? Garrett almost wanted to burst into laughter. The very idea of him, Garrett Mason, stealing from a poor female who worked at a second-hand store was incredible.
Holding out his hands in front of him, Garrett quickly replied. “No, little lady. I have no reason to rob you. It’s just,” how could he explain to her that he came from a different place and time? A time where at least some men truly cared about a woman’s welfare and would not leave a woman out after dark by herself.
She sighed as she reached down to pick up more items. “Look, my boss is an ass. When you first arrived, you stated that I didn’t have to steal, that places like this would help the poor. No, they don’t. My boss would steal a penny from a baby if he had half a chance. Yes, the merchandise is used and therefore at a reduced price. But that is as far as it goes. My boss does nothing to help his community out, and he could care less if I make it home safe or not. Hell, I’ve got a co-worker who was ordered complete bed rest for the next eight weeks of her pregnancy, and he won’t pay her a penny while she’s down. She’s a single mom with two other kids after she caught her rat bastard of a husband cheating on her with his secretary, and…..” she stopped and shook her head. “I have no idea why I am standing here spilling my guts to a total stranger.”
He chuckled, and damn if that didn’t sound weird to his own ears. “I have been told in the past that I make a good listener. Let me go grab that other bag for you.” He had to find a way to keep her with him a bit longer. He had to learn more about her.
Bree watched the tall, dark, mysterious man walk over to the back door for the other bag. A part of her felt very comfortable around him, as if he posed no threat. But Bree was well aware looks could be deceiving. And as innocent as he appeared, there was still a tiny inner voice cautioning her about getting close. Her cautious side was saying, “Just leave everything and jump in the car!” Oh, but she couldn’t. She had worked too damn hard for all of her treasures, and with Christmas only a week away, she didn’t have the time nor the funds to start over. She had to have what was in those two large garbage bags. Bree waited until Garrett had grabbed the other large bag, with one hand at that, and start towards her car before she reached down to scoop up the final items on the ground. There was a red fire engine going to Joy’s oldest son, Tommy, who was four. And the baby doll that Bree had already put in the trunk was for his little sister Tonya. There were newborn clothes for the new baby, as well as clothing for the other two children.
Next, some of the tiny toys were going to little Mikie, Tom, and Sara’s little boy, who lived down the street from Joy. Tom had been laid off from work two months ago and hadn’t been able to find anything since. Sara had been a stay-at-home mom until Tom lost his job. Tom stayed home watching the small boy and looking for work while Sara cleaned houses to make ends meet.
She thought of all the families her trunkload of treasures was going to help and smiled. She loved Christmas time. Not for the getting, because she had no family to speak of, so therefore she very rarely ever received any gifts herself. No, she loved Christmas because it was a time of giving. For three years now, she had begged from the rich and saved every extra penny she could from working at the thrift shop to buy items for children in the community that would otherwise go without a Christmas.
No one knew of her good deeds. They just knew that somehow, someway, presents arrived on Christmas morning for the children of families that were in need. She also hit the food pantries up in the following two towns, which always seemed to have more on their shelves than their own tiny establishment. She would stockpile can goods and anything else she could get her hands on and distribute the food along with the gifts.
“So, is all of this for your children, Ms.?” Garrett’s voice broke her out of her thoughts.
“Who me? Umm, no, I mean, no, I don’t have any children.”
He glanced dubiously into the trunk of her little car, filled to the brim with everything children-related. “Really? So, none of this is for you?”
She shook her head, and before she could stop herself, her words came tumbling out. “No, I do this every year. I collect and then distribute to the needy on Christmas Eve.”
Garrett felt like a huge boulder had just gob-smacked him. Had he heard this little wisp of a woman correctly? Had fate handed him a woman with a heart of gold? One who wasn’t greedy and genuinely thought about others before they thought about themselves?
He shook his head, still hardly able to believe what she had just said. “That is quite magnanimous of you, Ms. ????”
“My name is Bree, Mr. Garrett. And there is nothing generous about it. I can’t stand to see children suffer, especially around the holidays. Since I am not married and don’t have children,” she stopped, suddenly wishing she had a filter on her mouth because Bree had just told a stranger she was all alone. Geez, Bree, smart. She gulped and held her head up high. In for a penny, in for a pound, she thought to herself. “I try to help as many people in need as I can.”
Garrett looked down at the slip of a woman and felt respect for a human for the first time in years. Her big blue eyes held no hint of lies or betrayal, nor did her scent. And her scent was driving him crazy. “Well, Ms. Bree, my full name is Garrett Mason. Would you consider walking across the street to the coffee shop with me? I’ll buy you a cup of coffee. I would love to hear more about your endeavors.”
Bree glanced over to the coffee shop and then back to her car. She could see her car from the shop, so it should be safe, and the man hadn’t tried to harm her, so why not? If he were going to attack her, he had already missed multiple opportunities. Besides, now that her precious cargo was all locked in the trunk of her car safe and sound, and she had a moment to catch her breath, she realized that Mr. Garrett Mason was not a bad-looking man at all.
He looked to be in his early thirties and had long dark hair tied back with a piece of rope. The way he had picked up the second bag with one hand told her he was healthy. He was wearing a pull-over sweater, so it was a little hard to see what was under his clothing, but his chest was broad from what little she could tell.
“So, what do you say? Will you join me for a cup of coffee?” It wasn’t like she had anything else going on or anyone at home waiting for her.
Before she knew it, her body had taken over again, and she nodded in agreement, and they were walking across the parking lot to the little coffee shop.
The little bell on the door chimed as they walked inside. Ahh, warmth. Her boss refused to pay for heat, so she always froze while working during the winter months. Bree waved to Mrs. Jenkins as she made her way over to an empty booth over by the window. Mrs. Jenkins and her husband owned the little coffee shop, and Bree was reasonably sure they knew at least a little about Bree’s secret. She had found a basket of homemade goodies waiting for her on the shop’s doorstep too often. When Bree questioned the coffee shop owners, they informed her it was day-old baking anyway and couldn’t be sold. They told her they would have to throw it in the garbage if she didn’t take the gift. There was no way Bree was going to let them throw food in the trash. She knew too many people going without the proper nutrition to refuse such a gift.
Mrs. Goodberry walked over to their booth. “Hi Bree, how is Joy doing? Have you heard from her?”
“Yes, I spoke with her last night. If I can get her to stop worrying about how she will pay the bills, she might be able to rest. Her mother is coming for an extended visit, so that should help her out with the other two children.”
Mrs. Goodberry clucked her tongue. “That poor, poor girl. I am going to fix up a basket for her. Would you mind dropping it off at her house on your way home, dear?”
Bree smiled at the kind elderly lady. Bree would bet her next paycheck that Mrs. Goodberry would stuff enough food into a basket to feed Joy’s entire family for several days. “I’d be happy to Mrs. Goodberry.” Bree then turned to Garrett. “Mrs. Goodberry, this is a friend of mine, Garrett Mason. Garrett, this is Mrs. Goodberry, the owner of this wonderful little coffee shop.”
Mrs. Goodberry blushed crimson red when Garrett stood up and gave a slight bow. He reached down to pluck her hand in his, bringing it up to his lips, and lightly brushing his lips over her weathered skin. “It is so nice to meet a friend of Bree’s,” he stated in a voice that was smooth as whiskey.
The elderly lady seemed to be in shock for a moment, clearly not accustomed to receiving that type of attention from her patrons. Once Garrett had sat back down, she glanced over to Bree. “The usual?”
“Yes, please. Extra whipped cream if you can.” Bree looked over to Garrett. “Mrs. Goodberry makes the best hot cocoa around.”
Garrett felt his lips tug upwards again in a smile. He wanted to reach up and rub his jaw but held himself in check. “Then make it two.”
After the older woman walked away, Garrett crossed his arms over the tabletop and leaned forward just a bit. He could see her pulse and wanted to sink his teeth into a vein and savor her blood. And, Garrett would bet good money that he wouldn’t need to turn his taste buds off if he drank Bree’s blood. He could practically smell it from across the table. It sang to him like the sweetest melody.
Bree’s hand rested on the tabletop, and Garrett reached over and placed his hand over hers, using his thumb to caress her soft skin lightly. “Now, tell me about this Santa endeavor of yours. It sounds fascinating.” Hell, anything coming out of her pretty little mouth would probably sound fascinating. And those blue eyes of hers; he could get lost staring into their depths.
“Well, I started working at the thrift store three years ago and soon discovered the shape of our little community. While plenty of people have money to burn, there are just as many, if not more, that don’t even know how they will feed their families. And the children, the children are the ones that tug at my heart the most. But, of course, it is not their fault, and most of the time, they don’t even fully understand what is going on.”
She stopped for a second to gather her thoughts. “I did some digging around, checking to see if there truly any help for these people. And while there are places around, like the food bank, they are stretched too thin to help everyone. Did you know that the food bank turns down an average of fifteen to twenty people a week because they run out of food and supplies? And then you have places like the thrift shop that I work at,” her lips turned down into a grimace as if she had just tasted a sour lemon. “The prices are still too high for a lot of folks. Mr. Crickett refuses to lower his prices at all. So while he sits in his well-to-do house in a nice neighborhood, with plenty of food on his table, some customers come into the store daily looking for used clothing for their children and walk back out empty-handed because they can’t afford the prices.”
“Wait a minute!” Garrett stopped her. “Don’t you get a lot of your merchandise through donations?”
She nodded her head. “Yes, and that is what is so sad. He makes a killing off of selling things that people don’t want anymore when the ones that need it can’t afford it.”
Just then, Mrs. Goodberry walked up with two large piping hot cups of hot cocoa. “Here you go. Two hot cocoas with extra whip cream for the lady.” She winked at Bree as she turned on her heel and walked away.
Garrett watched Bree take her first sip. The exquisite pleasure that skated across her face was breathtaking. He wanted to put that look on her face. He looked down at his mug, not sure what to do. While vampires could eat and drink a small amount of human food, he had not done so in a really long time. He picked up the mug and breathed in the scent. Dark, rich chocolate, with just a hint of cinnamon, attacked his senses. He took a cautious, tiny sip. Much to his surprise, his taste buds stood up and sang halleluiah!
He sat his cup down, worried if he drank too much, his stomach would revolt. And a vampire with an upset stomach was not a pretty sight. “So, go on,” he urged her.
“Well, I thought about it and decided I had two choices. I could turn a blind eye as to what is going on in my community, or I could roll up my sleeves and see what I can do to help.”
“Okay, so you gather items for needy families. I got that. But exactly how do you go about getting them delivered without them knowing it is you?”
He watched as she bit her lower lip. “I’d rather not give away all my secrets, Mr. Mason.”
“Garrett, and come on. I find myself rather intrigued with this whole setup. Tell me how you deliver the gifts, and I’ll promise you a large donation to help your endeavors.”
He watched as indecision warred within her for a moment or two. “What was it you said you did for a living again?” Bree finally inquired.
Garrett knew full well he hadn’t told her in the first place, but he let that one slide. “I’m an investor.” That was a good way of summing things up. No need to detail how he had his hands in so many different money pots; he’d never go broke.
Slowly, she pulled a velour cloth bag out of her purse. Garrett waited until she had sat it down on the table and untied the string. Then, spreading the cloth, she watched him closely as she revealed what was inside.
He looked over at the charming set of lock picks and let out a low whistle. “You pick their locks?”
The panic in her eyes and the fear that he could suddenly smell coming from her had Garrett quick to reassure her. Then, picking up her hand again, he gave it a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay; your secret is safe with me, sweetheart.”
Bree stared at the man before her, who was currently holding her hand. He had just called her sweetheart. Admittedly, the endearment probably meant nothing to him, but for a girl who hadn’t been on a date in more than two years, she found herself latching onto it. Even if he didn’t mean it, she was going to pretend for just a few minutes that he did. Then, when she was back at home all alone, she would have her memories.