A Vampire for Christmas

chapter FIVE





OLIVIA ADORATA WAS a sensation. Daniel could feel the love radiate out from the Times Square crowd as her voice carried over their heads and segued into their hearts. Her face filled the Jumbo Tron and snowflakes fluttered about her head. She sang “O Holy Night,” and he found himself staring in awe and mouthing the words he’d learned as a kid along with the audience.



Dressed all in white and sequins, she sparkled onstage, a brilliant star to lead wanderers to a promise of happiness. She wasn’t a monster, not in his mind. But he could understand now how she felt, in her heart, that her stage persona had become monstrous and too huge for her normal self who liked to be tucked away in a tiny apartment and bake cookies.



The vampire he had become was too huge for the investment broker he’d once been. But standing here in Olivia’s aura of sound and emotion, he knew he could stand forever—and he wanted to get a grasp on his monster so it didn’t bring them both down. He’d bitten her again. He wasn’t sure if that was good, bad or just plain evil.



He really liked her. Hell, he might even go so far as to—no, probably better not think it. Wouldn’t get his heart broken that way.



She said she loved you last night. Way to spoil the moment by freezing up on her, dude. You haven’t learned a thing about timing and women.



Yeah? What man did have a handle on the emotional stuff?



Scrubbing a hand over his head, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the words she sang. Fall on your knees… O hear the angel voices… And the soul felt its worth.



Lucky soul, that.



She wielded the voice of an angel who had touched his dark heart. And maybe, just maybe, a small portion of that heart, or even the edges, glowed brightly in the sound of her voice, responding to her touch in ways that brought him to his knees, wanting to worship her, not as a popular music idol, but as a gorgeous woman who needed love and understanding as much as he did.



His soul. Did it feel worthy of Olivia’s love?



They were two struggling through the mire, and had stumbled upon one another. Why couldn’t they make it work?



Hell, he wished it wasn’t Christmas Eve. The moon was high in the sky, though he couldn’t see it standing here in the middle of the city illuminated by unnatural lighting. But he felt the moon’s ominous presence and knew he had better things to do than lament the love he could never deserve.



Just as he forced himself to turn and leave, the crowd burst into applause. The song was over. Daniel cheered along with everyone, shouting out a few whoops—until he saw a new singer walk on stage to renewed cheers, and the man put his arm around Olivia. She introduced him as Parker Troy and he agreed to sing a duet with her, “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.”



And then he kissed Olivia full on the mouth to uproarious applause.



Daniel slapped a hand over his heart and stumbled backward, his steps stuttering as rapidly as his heartbeat.



Knew it, his conscience whispered. She was never yours. That soul of yours? Dark to the core and as unworthy as they come.



Turning and pushing through the tangle of worshippers, he blindly escaped the roar that threatened to suck him down to the ground and stomp upon his tender heart.



Spying Olivia’s driver as he passed, he avoided eye contact with the man, then kicked it in gear and headed north until he arrived at the same place he’d been every other night for the past ten days. The girls standing before the shoddy wood fence ran toward him. Charity, the quiet one, was eight, and Mary was twelve, the bossy one who looked after her little sister and mother.



“Where have you been?” Mary said, grabbing him by the wrist and tugging him along. “She’s really bad. You said tonight was the night.”



Daniel flinched when Charity tugged his jacket hem. Wide brown eyes sought his. Her hair was tangled, and he bet she hadn’t eaten a wholesome meal in weeks.



“Is my mommy going to be a vampire?” the little girl asked.



“Charity, we said not to use that word,” Mary admonished.



Daniel winced and considered what to say. To lie to them would be cruel, and their mother hadn’t lied since she’d been bitten and had been struggling against the inevitable vampirism that could overtake her soul. Little girls shouldn’t have to know such horrors as homelessness and vampirism. Yet Mary was so straightforward, she was like a forty-year-old in a twelve-year-old’s body.



Not if I can help it,” he offered. A mournful moan echoed from behind the fence. It was where the mother had been living with her daughters for the past few months. “She had anything to drink?” he asked Mary.



No money for vodka. But I did get her some Pepsi.”



Since her mother had lost her job, the girl had been forced to grow up too quickly. Daniel could relate in a strange way; he’d been forced to view his life differently since vampirism had lost him his job. The body did what it had to do to survive. It was the minds of these sweet girls he worried about.



I’m going to check on your mother.”



Mary shoved him toward the makeshift gate, while Charity clung to him. He put a palm to her head. It was so cold. She needed a cap, though the mittens he’d brought them a week ago were on her hands. How could he have forgotten caps?



Kneeling to put himself at eye level with the misfortunate shivering thing, he asked Charity, “You know what tonight is?”



She nodded. “Santa comes and brings toys to the kids who have homes.”



His heart shattered. He felt Mary’s stern admonishment of her sister without having to look at her stoic little face.



Santa is make-believe,” he said and didn’t regret the truth. These girls deserved his honesty. “Christmas is the celebration of a great man’s birthday. Good things happen on Christmas Eve.” He stopped himself from saying “I promise,” and patted Charity’s head before pushing through the gate.



Laura Jones sought his gaze, her pale eyes—circled not with black makeup but instead darkened from her struggles over the past week—were wide and manic. Her shoulders shook and her hands did, as well, as she rubbed them along her jeans as he approached. He prayed she hadn’t succumbed to the madness.



Daniel had learned, only after he’d been bitten and had answered the insane compulsion to drink blood, that there were a few ways a mortal could avoid transforming into a vampire. They could commit suicide. They could stake the vampire who had bit them—good luck finding the a*shole. Or they could attempt to not drink blood before the next full moon, which would then allow the vampire’s taint to pass through their system.



Only problem with that last one was sure madness overtook the mortal who fought the blood hunger. Or so he’d been told. He’d had two weeks to go before the full moon, but had succumbed to the insane craving within five days. If he had known better, he would have tried to wait for the moon. He hadn’t known better.



But Laura would now benefit from his knowledge. With her daughters to occupy her during the day and his nightly visits, she was succeeding in beating the hunger. She had to make it through tonight, or actually past midnight when the moon was highest in the sky.



He kneeled before the woman and clapped his hands together in determination. “Let’s do this.”



“I can’t.” She beat against his chest with ineffectual fists. “I can’t wait. I need it now. You said if the craving got too strong you’d let me drink your blood.” She lunged for his neck but he gripped her wrists and pushed her against the fence.



“I also told you, tasting vampire blood is not going to work. You need mortal blood—hell, Laura, you can do this. It’s just a few more hours. Don’t you want to get through this for your girls?”



“Girls?” Her eyes flickered toward the gate. “Yes, bring one here. A nice warm drink of blood.”



He swallowed and shook his head. He remembered the craving. It was relentless and would not cease. Much like the tug he’d felt on his heart upon seeing that bastard kiss Olivia.



Don’t think about what you’ve lost. You need to be here one hundred percent for this family.



Laura struggled and pleaded that he was hurting her. He wasn’t, but he knew if her daughters heard her cries, they’d rush back here, even though they had respected his ban and stayed outside.



He leaned in and pulled the woman onto his lap, and gently wrapped a palm about her mouth so her scream, which sounded right now, was muffled.



“We’ll get through this together, Laura. I’m going to make sure those beautiful girls out there have a mortal mother to take them into the New Year. Let’s think about anything but blood and vampires right now. Did you notice it’s starting to snow?”



Heavy flakes fluttered from the sky, and the only thing he could think was the girls should be snuggled in warm beds with stuffed animals tucked under their arms. Laura had been laid off in the summer, and as a recent widow without life insurance or close family, she’d ended up on the streets months later. She hadn’t asked for the vampire to attack her.



Only proved everyone was vulnerable. Even white-collar stockbrokers with attitudes a mile wide.



What had Laura Jones done to deserve this crappy deal?



“What about Christmas carols?” he asked, the gorgeous sound of Olivia’s voice returning to him. The world felt right when he heard her voice. Until that bastard had kissed her in front of everyone. Who the hell was he—no. Didn’t matter anymore. It was apparent Olivia had more than a vampire tucked in her Christmas stocking.



“Do you know any Christmas songs?” he asked Laura.



She shook her head negatively and tried to bite his fingers, but he held her firmly. He had the strength of ten men now—and one werewolf—so he had to be careful he didn’t lose control.



“You want to know my favorite? It’s that drummer boy song. I bet you remember that one. Pa-rum-pa-pum-pum.”



He sang a few verses, and was transported to the backseat of the cab with Olivia—damn it, he had to get her out of his head!



Laura began to nod and hum. Wild eyes flickered at him, but he sensed it was safe to let go of her mouth.



She sniffed back tears and hummed along with the next verse.



Only a few hours, he told himself. If Christmas truly was a magical time, as he’d told the girls, he wished for a miracle tonight.





OLIVIA’S DRIVER HAD FOLLOWED Daniel, as she’d instructed him to do if he caught a glimpse of the elusive vampire. She hadn’t told anyone she was seeing a vampire, of course. They drove down Broadway while she changed in the backseat. She’d mastered the art of tugging a bulky sweater over her evening gown and slipping up jeans without revealing skin to the driver.



Twenty minutes later, the car pulled over across the street from what looked like an abandoned house, sandwiched next to a vacant lot. A scrappy wood fence connected the plots, and two girls huddled on a broken bench that hadn’t seen a bus stop for years.



“This is the place,” the driver announced. “I don’t think you should go out there, Miss Adorata. This neighborhood is not safe.”



She glanced down the street. A neon café sign advertised beer and Irish rum. A golden glow from the streetlight highlighted the heavy snowflakes. Looked like a scene that belonged inside a cracked snow globe.



“I’ll be fine. Just give me a few minutes.”



She got out and tugged up the parka hood to conceal her appearance because she was still in full makeup. No one was around but she could never let down her guard. None of that mattered because she was concerned the girls were outside alone with no caps.



The taller of the two approached Olivia as she neared and her posture emulated that of a tough prison guard with attitude. “Who are you?”



“I’m looking for a friend,” Olivia said. “His name is Daniel.”



The smaller girl began to say something, but the one Olivia guessed was her older sister pushed her back toward the fence. It was then she heard the soft singing on the other side of the fence. She approached and put her gloved hands to the wood and listened.



“You can’t go back there,” the girl warned. “Fancy lady like you could get in trouble in this neighborhood.”



“Who is he with?” she asked.



“My mommy,” the littler one offered. She dodged her sister’s hand as she tried to grab her and managed to sidle up along Olivia. “He’s saving her. We don’t want her to turn into a vampire.”



“Charity, you don’t tell strangers stuff like that,” the older one hissed.



A vampire? How could Daniel save a person from becoming a vampire? Had he bitten someone and now as a result, she was changing?



She pressed against the fence, but when the older girl insinuated herself before her, Olivia stepped back out of respect.



“I don’t want to cause any trouble,” Olivia offered. “If he’s busy helping your mother I’ll catch him later.”



The younger of the two tugged on Olivia’s sleeve and said, “Your eyelashes are really long.”



Olivia blinked. The false eyelashes were also annoying, but much needed on stage. “They’re not real.”



“Like Santa? Daniel told us Santa isn’t real.”



“He did?” How dare he? Though she shouldn’t judge. She had no idea the mood or context in which he’d said that to the girls. “Santa is real if you want him to be.”



“But he still doesn’t bring presents to girls who don’t live in houses,” the little one said and followed with a dramatic sigh.



She didn’t know what to say to that. Hell, she could write a check and put the girls and their mother in a nice hotel for months. But that would never solve their problem if the mother had no stable form of income.



“Aren’t you girls cold?” She placed her hand on the little one’s head and felt little warmth. “How about I buy you some hot chocolate at the café down the block?”



The girls exchanged looks, but Olivia could read the warning flash in the elder’s eyes to her sister.



“Right,” she said. “I’m a stranger. You should never go places with strangers. You two are very smart.”



The soft tones of “O Holy Night” echoed out from behind the fence. Daniel was singing with a woman. For what reason, she couldn’t know. But it wasn’t her place to intrude. She’d wanted him for herself tonight, but obviously, he had more important things to do.



He has a life away from your bed. Get that into your brain. You scared him off by confessing love. The risky move failed.



A life that obviously had much more meaning than she could ever see beyond his fangs and danger.



“Daniel’s a good man,” she said to the older girl. “You can trust him.”



“I know that. He’s been here almost every night since my mom was bitten. Except that one night. Don’t know where the heck he was then.”



Snuggled in Olivia’s bed beside her. Hell.





“He’ll save her,” the oldest offered. “I know he will.”



Olivia managed a weak smile. For the sake of the girls, she hoped Daniel could save their mother. Her heart warmed to know what he was doing. Truly, his soul was worthy.



“Merry Christmas,” she offered, and wandered down the street. The driver followed at a slow creep.



In the café she ordered three cups of hot chocolate to go, and upon spying a lost and found box full of mittens and caps, asked if she could take two. The owner said they’d been in there for months, so she was welcome to them.





THE MIDNIGHT BELLS from a church down the block had chimed over an hour ago. Daniel eyed the moon, noting it had fallen in the sky. The bright disk reminded him of the Christmas tale of the wise men following the star. Pray, Laura’s soul had followed the bright this night.



He held her tightly still, and she hadn’t moved in a while. Maybe she had fallen asleep? It was the best option to fight the cravings.



Thinking about cravings… She had been here. He’d felt her presence outside the fence earlier. Had smelled her delicious sugar cookie scent. She’d come looking for him? He was glad she’d not interfered, but sad he’d missed her gorgeous smile.



Until he remembered that kiss onstage. She would have never let it happen if the man hadn’t meant something to her. He couldn’t accept it had been a sweet peck, either. He’d lost her, yet he’d never really had her.



How to possess a bright star when she belonged in the sky, shimmering for the masses to follow?



The smell of hot chocolate stirred his appetite. Giggles from outside the gate surprised him. That Charity and Mary could find some humor on this bleak night heartened him.



In his arms, Laura stirred and lifted her head. She stretched her mouth in a yawn and tugged out of his grasp to sit against the makeshift cardboard walls of her lean-to.



“How do you feel?” he asked on a raspy whisper.



“Oddly…not hungry for blood.” She shifted her tongue in her mouth and tilted her head. “Do I smell hot chocolate?”



He nodded. It was too incredible to believe, but he couldn’t prevent jumping into the excitement of what they may have accomplished tonight. I think it worked,” he said.



She nodded. “I think so, too. I mean, I feel that it did work. I made it.” With new wonder, Laura looked to the gate. “My girls? Tell them to come here.”



He called them in, and Mary allowed her sister to lunge into her mother’s arms first.



“Did he save you, Mommy?”



All three women looked to him. Daniel could only shrug.



“He did,” Laura said. “I know he did. Thank you, Daniel.”



“Merry Christmas,” he said, but regretted that it meant little.



He slipped out through the gate while the reunited family hugged and sniffled back tears. He wasn’t much for Hallmark moments. He’d saved one woman from a horrible life. But how many more had transformed because they’d not had someone to help them?



He shoved his hands into his pockets and strode down the street, but noticed the car parked across the way. The black Mercedes did not blend into this neighborhood. Seriously?



Hell, he didn’t want to talk to her.



Yes, he did. It was going to hurt, but it was best to exorcise this wicked ache from his heart swiftly.



Daniel beelined toward the car. The back window rolled down to reveal an angel’s face.



“What are you doing here?” he asked.



“Don’t be angry. I had my driver follow you from the concert. I needed to see you tonight. To apologize for the things I said.”



“Doesn’t matter.”



“It does matter. I’m sorry, Daniel.”



“For what you said.” She’d said she loved him. And now she was apologizing? He nodded and looked over the top of the car. His chest tightened and he couldn’t bring himself to look at her again. “That it?”



“Y-yes. Come inside, and let’s talk. What you did for that woman and her daughters was amazing.”



“You must have bought the girls hot chocolate. I noticed they had caps.”



“Is their mother going to be all right?”



“I think so. She made it to the full moon without drinking blood. I think she’s going to be as fine as a homeless mother of two can be on a cold winter’s night.”



“I offered the girls money, but the older one only took a twenty. She’s very proud.”



“I offer their mother money every time I see her. Always refuses. She just needs to find a place to live and get a job.”



“It’ll happen,” Olivia said. “Santa will find them.”



Daniel smirked and shook his head. “Charity thinks Santa only comes to kids who live in houses.”



“Then we’ll have to change her mind, yes?”



“Olivia.” He winced at the rush of emotions that welled in his chest, squeezing his broken heart, and wished he’d been smarter and had walked away, but now he was here, and he was no man to walk away without all the answers. “I saw him kiss you.”



“Him? Oh.” Her hands fluttered to her lap and twisted within one another. “Daniel, that wasn’t—”



“No need for an explanation. I know where I fall on the scale of all things starstruck and famous. Dead bottom. It’s expected. That’s the way life treats me. Just swell.”



“Daniel.”



“Things never go my way. I thought me and you were going to be a one-night thing, or maybe a flash in your holiday vacation. I was cool with that. Until…”



He locked his jaws shut and beat the top of the car. Out with it then, and then you can cleanse this star from your heart and toss it back into the sky where it belongs.



“I fell in love with you, too. It’s been nice knowing you, Olivia. Luck with your career.”



And he pushed from the car and swung around, beating a path to the opposite side of the street and down the sidewalk. He heard her call after him, and started humming that damned drummer boy song to tune her out.