Page 2 of Silent Nights and Vampire Lights

I wiggled hard, wrenching around like the trout I once saw flopping on the boat when my grandpa took me fishing. My thrashing must have surprised them because suddenly the hold eased, and I darted away, yelling for someone to help me.

Only there was no one left. The station was deserted, and the train was pulling away. The high-pitch, piercing warble of the whistle drowned out my screams as the train, and my hope, chugged away.

I was going to die here. All alone. No one would care. I had no one left. My parents had died when I was young, and my grandparents had taken me in, raising me until their deaths. I had no one else. I would be forgotten. And at the happiest time of the year.

Christmas.

Didn’t that just suck?

CHAPTER 2

NICHOLAS

Once I passed the platform lights, my vision adjusted to the darkness, and there she was—running straight for me. No, not for me specifically. She was running for safety, any safety. Not everyone considered vampires safe, and we weren’t. Not unless we wanted to be.

And tonight, I didn’t want to be.

I’d fed earlier, so hunger wasn’t my issue. Rage, though? That was burning through me, white-hot and all-consuming. When she was suddenly yanked back by something—her scarf, maybe, or her hair—I heard the strangled sound she made. Choking. It fueled my anger, my fangs fully descending, my growls echoing through the night. The two men didn’t notice me at first, but when they did, it was too late.

The skinny one screamed—a shrill, pathetic sound—just as I slammed into him. I grabbed him by the shoulders, shook him hard enough to hear the sickening crack of bone, and flung him into the shrubs near the parking lot. He disappeared into the darkness with a distant thud.

I turned to the other one, the one holding a gun. His hand shook as he aimed it at me, his pulse thundering loud enough tomake me smile. “We don’t want no trouble,” he stammered. “Go on your way and nobody will get hurt.”

Nobody? My gaze narrowed, the scent of blood hitting me hard. Hers. The sweet, infuriating smell of her blood—spiced with vanilla, cinnamon, and something uniquely her—combined with the sight of the split lip they’d given her.

“No one?” I repeated, my voice soft, dangerous. “So, she’s free to go?”

The idiot froze, his eyes darting to her before flicking back to me. In one swift motion, I knocked the gun from his hand and sent him flying with a casual backhand. He crashed into a car, setting off its alarm. The wailing siren scraped against my nerves, an irritating reminder of how fragile and loud human things were.

I took a step toward him, ready to finish what he started, when a sound from her—just a soft, pained moan—dragged my attention away.

I turned, and there she was, trying to push herself off the ground. Her scent hit me again, stronger now, wrapping around me like a goddamn chain. Vanilla, cinnamon, and—cookies? What the hell was wrong with me?

Kneeling beside her, I studied her face, pale and terrified. “Are you okay?” I asked, my voice coming out rougher than I intended.

She gasped for air, clawing at her throat, where that ridiculous scarf was knotted tight. Knitted Santas and dancing reindeer mocked me as I realized what had happened—the bastard had yanked the scarf, choking her.

I ripped through the fabric easily, tossing it aside. She collapsed back, sucking in deep breaths and rubbing her neck, her skin marked red where the scarf had tightened.

The man? He was running now, stumbling across the parking lot. I could’ve caught him in a heartbeat, but I didn’t move. She had my full attention.

Then she punched me and screamed again, shaking her hand.

“You ruined my scarf!” she yelled, her voice raspy but brimming with outrage. “That was my favorite scarf!”

I gaped at her, utterly bemused. “A scarf?” I echoed. “You’re angry about a scarf? Those men almost killed you.”

“That scarf was important to me,” she snapped, grabbing the ruined ends like she could somehow put them back together.

I barked a laugh, sharp and humorless. “Then maybe I’ll leave you to their tender mercies. The other one’s still around here somewhere, probably eager to finish what he started.”

Her wide eyes snapped to mine, the anger draining from her face as she took in my red eyes and elongated fangs. She swayed, then fainted, collapsing right into my arms.

Oh, for fuck’s sake. A fainter. Of course.

Holly

Iwoke up slowly, my head pounding, and realized I was lying across the backseat of a moving car. My body jolted upright, adrenaline shooting through me. What the hell? Had they grabbed me while I was out? Were they driving me to some dump site?

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