by Alice Brown, Lady V, Samantha Potter, Rayne O'Gara, Lei Carol, Hazel Gower
The woman looked like she was ready to cry. “Thank you! I wasn’t too worried about myself, but I sure was worried about these babies.”
Garrett nodded his head and gave the woman a kind smile. “It should be taken care of, but if it isn’t, please call Bree. I promise you I’ll take care of it for you.”
They left shortly after that and Garrett found himself doing some reflecting on the way to Bree’s house. Here he had been, condemning mankind for the past several years, and yet what had he done to possibly change their lifestyle? He had more money than he could burn, and walking into her friend’s house tonight proved to him there were good people right here in his own community that needed help. Help that he could easily give. But had he? The answer came back a resounding ‘no’, making him feel more like a heel. Well, that would have to stop immediately. He was going to turn over a new leaf and reach out to the men and women in need of help.
He glanced over to Bree and couldn’t help but smile. His entire body felt lighter than it had in years. And he owed it all to her. This little slip of a woman who made him see that giving had its rewards as much as, if not more so, than receiving.
He thought about what he had just seen with his own eyes. The duplex was run down and looked like Phillip hadn’t taken care of it in years, which in reality, he probably hadn’t. No, he guessed the greedy bastard just sat back collecting on the rent every month, never bothering to fix anything unless he absolutely had to.
Well, Garrett had the ways and means to fix that situation, too. “How many people do you know that are living like your friend, Joy?” When Bree gave him a quick sideways glance, he continued, “How many are renting homes that are in need of repair, but have a landlord that won’t do anything to fix them up?”
“Oh, umm, I don’t know. I know Mr. Jackson owns several places, all about in the same shape, including my own.” And if that didn’t have Garrett seeing red!
“Then there is Mr. Blackmon who owns several houses around here, along with my boss, Mr. Crickett.”
“Mr. John Blackmon?” he verified.
“Yep, one and the same,” she replied as she pulled up to her little house.
The only one of the three he didn’t know was her boss. “Does Blackmon keep his houses in any better of shape?”
She laughed a sad laugh. “Absolutely not. If anything, he is worse. If you rent a house from him, you are lucky to have running water and a roof that doesn’t leak. He’s the worst of the three major landlords around here.”
Garrett’s eyebrows lifted at this news. He did a lot of business with both Jackson and Blackmon. He knew the two men that were about to get a huge surprise. He was not going to have the residents in his town living like this any longer. Yes, he may have turned a blind eye on things for a long time, but no more. Besides, his little mate had a heart of gold, and he’d be damned if he would disappoint her.
Chapter Three
Garrett took one look at the outside of the little house his mate was renting and knew he was going to have a hell of a headache by the end of the night. Not wanting to do or say anything to upset her, he kept his emotions in tight check, acting as if he wasn’t looking at little more than a house that had a roof, a few windows, and walls.
With his vision, he could see cracks around each of the windows that looked like someone had tried putting tape or something over, obviously in an attempt to seal out the elements. Oh, he knew a couple of business associates that were in for a big surprise.
He went around to the back of the car and waited for her to release the hatch to the trunk. Grabbing an armload of items, he told her, “Go ahead and unlock your door, darling. There’s little sense in both of us getting cold.” Yeah, as a vampire he really didn’t feel the temperatures like humans did, but she didn’t know that. That was something he’d have to sit down and explain to his little mate sooner or later.
He watched as her eyes went wide for a split second before she turned and did as he had instructed. Was it the endearment he used? Was she not used to people being nice to her? Then he thought about how he had come across her tonight. And then the living situation her friend was in. No, she probably wasn’t, and that was a crying shame.
He carried everything into the house in three loads and placed everything in the middle of her living room. A quick glance around proved that his little mate had been busy, very busy indeed. Besides what he had just brought in from her trunk, she also had items stacked neatly in piles all over her living room. He walked over to one of the piles, curiosity getting the best of him.
A three by five index card sat in front of the stack with the name Brewsters at the top. Below that were the names Noland, Sara, Samantha, and No’ Jr. Beside each of the names was a list of items that she had for that specific family member. Everything was stacked neatly, ready to go on Christmas Eve.
He turned back to her. “How do you get all of this stuff delivered to all these families in one night? I’ve heard of people playing Santa Claus before, but you take the cake, sweetheart.”
“I load everything into boxes that are clearly marked for each household and then load everything in my car the day before Christmas. I’m lucky enough that some families go to bed relatively early, so I’m able to hit their homes first to drop off their gifts.”
A quick glance around had Garrett counting at least twenty-five families she was trying to help. That was a lot for anyone to take on alone. But for a lone female? He shook his head. His little mate was full of spirit.
“Would you like to sit down? I don’t have much to offer you in the way of refreshment…” She twisted her hands together, clearly out of her element as to what to do next.
The only furniture in the room was a worn out couch that had three families gifts stacked on it. He walked over and carefully, without messing any of her work up, transferred the stacks to the long table that sat on the other side of the room.
“Come,” he commanded as he took hold of her delicate little hand with his. “Come join me on the couch. I need to discuss an idea with you.”
Inside his chest, his cold-dead heart seemed to thaw out a bit more. He could actually hear the blood thrumming through his veins, which reminded him that he hadn’t had supper, yet. Bree’s scent this close was exotic, tantalizing. He would love to drop his fangs down and sink them into the creaminess of her neck knowing, just knowing, that she would have the sweetest blood he’d ever had the opportunity to taste. All in good time. For now, all he had to worry about was gaining her trust.
He sat her on the sofa first and then sat down next to her, ignoring the broken spring that was digging into his left ass cheek. Damn, his mate was stuck on a hard road in life. Well, she might not know it yet, but her luck was going to change drastically in the next few days; whether she accepted him as her mate, or not.
“Bree,” he addressed, picking up her hand and bringing it to his lips for a quick, chaste kiss. “I would like to help you. Tell me what it is you need at this point, and I will do my very best to make it happen.”
“Food,” she responded as she took a quick glance around the room. There were stacks of clothing, games, toys, baby items, hell, there was even two strollers sitting in the corner of the room, but food was something she was still in short supply of. She had a few boxes of non-perishables: cans of soup, baby food, a few precious boxes of crackers, and cans of fruit. But nothing fresh. There were no fresh meat, vegetables, or fruit. That was the one thing that if she could change, she would.
“How about this. Make me a list of what you need. And while you’re at it, go ahead and give me the addresses to these families you are helping. I’ll have the food delivered to each family directly from the store, leaving a few less items you have to worry about delivering. Would that help?”
Garrett’s proposition was more than anyone had ever offered. “You do realize that I am trying to help over twenty families, correct?”
“Yes, I counted twenty-five. I am aware of the number. W
ill you let me help you?”
“You’re serious? You want to buy groceries for twenty-five families? What I need is things like fresh meat, fruits, and vegetables for the children. Items that aren’t exactly cheap, especially when you are looking at multiplying it by twenty-five.”
He smiled a patient smile at her. There was no way for her to know he had the means to change the lives of these twenty-five families and that it would hardly make a dent in his considerable wealth.
“I know, sweetheart. But I want to help.” He stopped and looked deep into her eyes, but didn’t put her under his spell. “I find you are a rare jewel wanting to help out your fellow neighbors and friends, and I must admit, I have turned a blind eye on what is going on around me for far too long. I’d like to change that, and it would be so much more enjoyable if you will allow me to help you.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Exactly who are you? I’ve lived here for a long time and don’t ever remember seeing you around before tonight.”
He sighed heavily and prayed to whomever might listen the next few minutes would go smoothly. He brought her hand up to his mouth again for another kiss, this time going for the pulse on her wrist. Here, the skin was so thin that he could both see and smell the sweet blood running through her veins.
“Bree, I need to tell you a few things about myself, and I ask that you try to keep an open mind to what I am about to tell you.”
Her response of “I’ll try” was little more than a tense whisper, but he accepted it. With another deep breath that he didn’t need to begin with, he started.
“My name is Garrett Mason and I was born in the outskirts of England in 1764. I am a two hundred and fifty year old vampire who has lived here for many years, probably much longer then you, but has ignored everything around him for too many years to count.” He shook his head, disgusted that he had turned his back on the world when his little slip of a mate had been doing what she could to help all those around her, when in reality, she herself had next to nothing.
“I guess the only excuse I have is that I just got tired of seeing mankind at its worst. The killing, the greed… I just got tired of seeing it all. And so I gave up on the world in general. I have gone about my business, using man’s greed against him, and making a vast fortune along the way. I would very much like to change my ways, and I’d like to start by helping you, dear Bree.”
Bree looked at the man sitting next to her. If he was spinning a tall tale, she wondered why. What possible reason would he have to tell her all of this? As if reading her mind—oh my God was that possible?—he continued, “I can see that you are skeptical about what I am telling you.”
She pulled her hand away from his and crossed her arms over her chest. “I am trying to figure out what possible reason you would have to tell me such a far-fetched story, Mr. Mason. I never asked you for anything, or for any help. By chance, have you been in the hospital lately?”
Garrett knew with the last question that she thought he had mental issues. “Bree…watch my face and mouth, honey.” She went from looking at the handsome face of Mr. Garrett Mason to that of a monster in a matter of a few seconds. She watched his fangs actually drop down from his gums as he held his mouth open for her to see. His eyes turned a blood red and his already pale skin seemed to turn almost translucent before her very eyes. She could see the veins pronounced around his face. Her eyes widened in horror as she realized that indeed, he had been telling her the truth, at least about the vampire part. There was no other explanation.
Her hand flew up to her mouth as she gasped. Two seconds later, Garrett was back, no fangs, no red eyes. Just him. She took a deep breath in as she suddenly felt warm and more than a bit faint, even though she knew the house was chilly.
“Why? Why are you telling me and showing me this? Do you plan to kill me?” The smell of fear pouring off his mate was almost more than he could stand.
“Bree, I am going to tell you the absolute truth, because I have no reason to lie to you. Do you believe in love at first sight?”
She shrugged her shoulders at him. “I used to when I was younger, before I got out into the real world and saw what all was out there. Not so much anymore.”
He nodded his head at her. “I can understand why. But the truth of the matter is that vampires have one chance to truly fall in love, and that is with their predestined mate. After looking for what seems like forever, and frankly giving up on finding my mate, I finally found her. You, Bree, are my mate.”
This conversation was getting stranger by the minute. “And just what makes you think I’m your mate? You just met me tonight. For all you know, I might have some nasty habits you don’t like.”
He chuckled. She was so damn cute. “What awful, nasty habits do you have that you think I am going to dislike so much?”
“Well, I’ve been told I snore. And I’m not the neatest person in the world, as you can see. And…and…” her hands were moving about her wildly as she attempted to come up with something else to throw him off.
“Bree, sweetheart,” he said as he gently took her chin into his hand and looked deep into her eyes. “I could care less if you snore or not. And I have a maid that comes in to clean, so it isn’t going to bother me if you are messy.”
“Are you going to…are you going to…you know?” She looked up at him with those big eyes of hers.
“Am I going to what? Am I going to kiss you? Yes, as long as you will let me. Am I going to make love to you? I would love to. Anything else?”
“Are you going to drink my blood?” He’d known all along that was what she wanted to know. Time for a little compulsion…
“Sweetheart,” he stated low and deep as he gazed deep into her eyes, waiting until he felt all tension leave her body as she stared at him. “Baby, I’m in your thoughts now, because this is the easiest way to make you understand. I will never hurt you. I would rather cut off my own arm than see you in pain for a minute. You are my mate. With that in mind, I would love nothing more than to make mad, passionate love to you, but that I am going to leave up to you. I will not press my will on you in this matter. Now, as my mate, yes, when we make love, chances are I will want to bite you. You have such sweet smelling blood.” He ran his finger down the side of her face, down her neck, stopping and lightly fingering the spot on her neck that he wanted to sink his teeth. “Right here is where I’d bite you, and at the same time, leave a mark for the world to see that you are mine.”
He was still lightly fingering the side of her neck as he slowly lifted the compulsion. She looked up at him, blinked twice, and then asked, “Will it hurt?”
He wanted to put her under compulsion again, and drill into her head about fifty times that he could never hurt her. Instead, he calmly answered, “No, baby. You might feel my teeth slice through the skin as I bite down, but then you would feel nothing but absolute pleasure.”
“Are you going to drain me dry?” She stopped and shook her head. “Is there a chance you could drain me dry?”
“No. Because you are my mate, I would never do anything remotely near that. Yes, I will openly admit, your blood calls to me. I can tell you it’s sweet, because I can already smell it. But I have been a vampire for a long time and you don’t live as long as I have by going around draining people dry, and leaving dead corpses all over the place.”
“Okay… So, where do we go from here?” she asked. He studied her for a moment. She had taken the whole, ‘I am a vampire', news better than he ever suspected she would.
“Before I answer your question, answer this. Why aren’t you running scared? You are taking the news of me being a vampire pretty damn well.”
She looked over toward the corner and for the first time, he spotted the wicker basket sitting there full of paperback books.
“I read a lot. I tend to get into the whole paranormal thing. I have always wondered if just a bit of it was true.”
“So, you’ve suspected that there might be paranormal beings out there?�
�� he verified.
“Yes, to some degree, I guess you could say so.”
“And now that you know there is? How do you feel about that? How do you feel about knowing you are the mate of a vampire?”
“Tell me what all you can do,” she blurted out.
He raised an eyebrow at her. “What I can do? In what capacity? Because if we are talking about what all I can do to you while we make love, I’d much rather show you, sweetheart,” he teased.
She blushed down to her roots. “No, what separates you from human men, minus the whole drinking blood thing?” she pressed.
“Okay…” He ran his hand over his face. “I have much greater senses. I can hear further, see further, you already know I can get into someone’s thoughts and manipulate their thoughts if need be. I am strong. I can run faster, jump higher, etc. Oh, and another big thing is that I can teleport.”
“No way!” she countered.
“Watch out that window for just a moment,” he said as he pointed to the window across the room. He disappeared from sitting next to her and appeared outside, next to her window. He rapped lightly with his knuckle on the glass and waved, and then was sitting beside her a mere second later.
“Oh my God, that is so freaking cool!” she breathed, totally amazed that he could do something like that. “Man, if I could do that, it would make my job on Christmas Eve go so much faster.”
“Well, you, my little mate, can’t, but I can. And I’d love to help. But first,” he stopped and leaned over toward her. “Would you object to a kiss?”
Bree knew she probably should have her head examined. She had picked up a stranger and brought him home. Said stranger had turned into a vampire, and then told her she was his mate. Then she had watched him teleport from one spot to another in a blink of an eye. Yeah, she was either going crazy or was dreaming. “Ouch,” she mumbled as she pinched herself hard. Okay, not dreaming. That pinch really hurt.