Read The Lady Is a Vamp for Free Online

the hosts, the only survivors of the catastrophe, had climbed over the mountains and joined the rest of the world, they’d found themselves in a much less developed world where blood transfusions and nanos weren’t even yet dreamed of. The hosts had begun to wither and die without the transfusions, and the nanos in response had forced an evolution of sorts, giving them retractable fangs, better night vision, and more strength and speed to make them better predators, able to get the blood they needed.
    They’d been forced to hunt and feed off their neighbors and friends to survive. At least until the development of blood banks. He’d been assured they now mostly drank bagged blood. It was less dangerous, less likely to make their presence known amongst the mortals, which was their paramount concern. If mortals knew about them, immortals would either be hunted down and killed out of fear, or captured and locked up for experimentation. Many mortals would be eager to gain the knowledge behind the nanos for themselves. At least, that was what immortals feared. Paul suspected that fear was justified.
    Before being hired and given this secret, Paul had been put through rigorous psychological testing and several interviews meant to gauge how much of a threat he might be if he knew their secret. Once ascertaining that he could handle the information without using it against them or being unduly afraid of them, he’d been brought in for a briefing. Then he’d been given extensive counseling and testing to be sure he was handling everything he’d learned. Paul had understood their concerns, but he’d had no desire to blab to everyone about what he’d learned. First off, he’d most likely have been thought mad, and second, the whole thing had fascinated him. He’d wanted to know more, and had learned as much as he could the last several years working at Argeneau Enterprises.
    There was much he didn’t know, of course. Paul suspected they kept a lot of information from him about their kind. He would have liked to actually study the nanos themselves, but it wasn’t necessary for his job so it wasn’t allowed. He didn’t need to actually study the nanos to develop new, stronger and better tranquilizers and test them on the immortals who volunteered to be guinea pigs.
    Paul had tried telling them that he should really study the nanos to be sure he didn’t create anything that might kill one of their people. But the response to that had been an amused, “No drug created would kill an immortal.” Of course that was the only reason he now had Jeanne Louise locked up in his basement. If he had been given access to nanos at work, he never would have had to take her. Instead he would have tried stealing nanos from the lab. Paul would have preferred that. He wasn’t normally the sort to run around kidnapping people to get them to do what he wanted, but he was desperate. This was his Livy. His little angel. The apple of his eye. She was the only reason for his continuing to live the last couple of years since her mother’s death. He couldn’t lose her too.
    “Can I have more?”
    Paul blinked, and glanced to see Livy holding out the now empty orange-juice glass. The sight made him smile. Her cheeks had a little color to them and she seemed happy and pain free for the moment. It was a stark contrast to the gray-faced little girl he’d found on returning home. But then she’d been fretting over what Mrs. Stuart had said about God not liking crybabies and not letting her see her mother in heaven. It seemed now as if she’d forgotten all of that. He was glad if she had, and hoped she didn’t recall it again.
    “Of course,” Paul murmured and took her glass to pour more of the juice into it. As he handed it back he asked, “Do you think you could eat something now?”
    Livy tilted her head and considered the question. Paul was sure she was about to say no as usual, but then she asked, “Can we have a picnic outside with