Story 2: United Service

Sterling, a half-breed vampire who works with a covert team of vampires to protect the President of the United States, is the weakest link in the chain for his team, and he knows it. He is an emotionally broken individual with no standing in the vampire world, who works in the human world, and really has no place in either.

He has a unique ability to glean information from inanimate objects, and his life is kind of like CSI meets the West Wing, where key positions are held by vampires. Vampires can alter their age based on the amount of blood they consume, which should allow Sterling to blend into human society, however his ability has painful side effects that cause him to live a lonely life down in the evidence room at FBI headquarters. His current case involves the kidnapping of vampire children and he teams up with a pure-bred vampire, Kate, who is the nanny of one of the kids. Would Kate ever consider a relationship with a half-breed who is constantly in pain? Insecure in his own ability to woo the lovely Kate, he travels across the country on a journey of self discovery where he realizes he is a person of value, truly deserving of love, forgiveness and happiness.

Kate has led a sheltered life and is considered handicapped by vampire standards. Her vampire ability gives her mobility issues and she can not feel her body without piercing or cutting herself – but as a vampire she heals daily. She believes that she is unworthy of a full-filling, mature relationship. She creates a symbiotic relationship with Sterling, who helps her to discover that she is able to have a normal life, with all the joys and sorrows that it brings.