Page 104 of My Big Fat Vampire Wedding

Pandora snorted.

“Why don’t you take the bride back to your own party, pup? Or do you not know how to have fun that doesn’t involve chasing squirrels?” Elias asked, eyes dancing.

“OK,” Pandora said. “Before this turns into an hour-long flirt-a-thon, we’re gonna go.”

“We arenotflirting,” Lucy said, but Pandora noticed that she glanced back over her shoulder at Elias.

“No, of course not.”

They headed back into the party, where Pandora made her way to the bar.

“What can I get you?” the barman asked. “We’ve got A, B, AB, O. All positive and negative. Or,” he said, watching Pandora with his head tilted, “we have a few …vegetarianoptions, as it were.”

“What? Really?”

“Seems like times are changing,” he said, reaching for a glass, putting it under the tap, and pouring some thick O negative for someone waiting for a refill. “We have two animal blood-types, as well as synthetic.”

“Synthetic?”

“New to market. Supposed to taste like AB. I think it has a little bit of an aftertaste, but it provides all the ­necessary nutrients. Without all the moral guilt.”

“OK. Well, I guess I’ll give that a try.”

To that, he reached for a bottle under the counter. “Don’t worry,” he said, popping the top, then pouring it into a glass. “No one will know but me. Happy engagement, by the way,” he added, passing her the glass before moving on to take more orders.

“Oh, ah, was this too much pressure?” Lucy asked when she found Pandora next, taking tentative sips of her fake blood.

“What? Oh, this? No. This is synthetic blood. Can you believe it? Someone finally made it.”

“So, it’s like a vampire nutrition shake?”

“I guess that’s a good way of putting it. I have to look into it when we get home.”

“How’s the taste? Is it like real blood?”

“I think it tastes kind of like watered-down blood. And there’s a bit of an aftertaste, but it has more of a kick than pig blood, energy-wise.”

“Well, that’s good news. Especially if it is shelf-stable. You could easily find somewhere to stash that at your new flat. Victor will never have to know.”

Pandora had been thinking the same thing as she sipped the fake blood. Between the synthetic blood and Dante’s sunscreen, there really was a chance for them to try to live normal, non-vampire lives.

While she didn’t believe that vampires as a whole were ready to forsake their old ways, give up feeding on humans, desire to come out of the shadows and live in society – to come “out of the coffin”, if you will – she loved that there were options for vampires like her brother and herself. Ones who desired new opportunities to live among humans.

“I know you’re flying high on your third glass of that stuff,” Lucy said a while later as she joined her on the dance floor. “But I think it’s time we check on the boys again.”

The blood felt like it was vibrating in Pandora’s veins, making her feel more alive than she last remembered. She’d spent so many years just barely surviving on occasional pig’s blood – since she didn’t want the butchers to get suspicious if she ordered too much – that she’d forgotten how good, how strong, how vital she could feel when she was properly fed.

This was the closest to being high she’d ever been.

She now understood why her aunts and cousins were all up in the VIP section laughing and buzzing with life.

“Right.” Pandora finished her glass and dropped it down on the bar before following Lucy out of the back door.

“I just don’t trust Eli … Oh!” Lucy yelped, tripping over something and toppling forward.

Pandora, powered with three glasses of sustenance, was faster than usual. Her hands shot out, grabbing her friend and hauling her back up to her feet.

“What did I trip … Oh,” Lucy said, eyes wide as she looked down.