A Vampire To Watch Over Me [Vampire Coven Book II] (11 page)

“Yes.”

“I didn’t swoop in and steal you, you found me. I didn’t force you from your loved ones. I had thought, foolishly, because I hadn’t kidnapped you, that you would be grateful for being here. I didn’t realize the extent of change you would endure. It was dumb of me. We have brought ice dwellers here before but none had never seen outside at some point or time—even the females.”

“Everything is so different,” she murmured. “I hadn’t really thought things through when I left. I needed to escape. I think I could have begged Talek for my life if I hadn’t run, his vanity would have been appeased—but I couldn’t go on with the un-living. I thought I’d teach myself to hunt and I would find someone who wouldn’t look at me like I shouldn’t exist.”

Laken cupped her chin in his hand. “I’m happy you exist.”

“But for what purpose?”

“Right now all you see is the bad in my world. Everything scares you. Let me show you the good. Let me help you understand what seems scary really isn’t.”

“You called me a breeder female.”

“It’s a term vampires use for a woman of childbearing years.”

“It’s forbidden to have a child.”

“Those are ice-dweller laws, not the laws of the coven,” Laken said.

Honor jumped up—then placed a hand to her woozy head. “Laws, always the
damned
laws.”

“The laws are in place not so we can die—but so we can live.”

“So you can bleed us dry.”

“Have you been bled dry?” Laken smiled as he said this.

“No.” She knew she sounded petulant.

“You grew up hating your laws. You don’t understand ours yet. Once you heal, you can see others and judge for yourself if they’re happy. For now let me try to help you to not be as scared.”

“I’m not scared.”

Laken stood up and went to her. He brushed a lock of hair from her face. His thumb trailed a line down her cheek. Honor stood still but she shivered. It was so strange to have a man touch her without hurting her; it was so nice, comforting. Honor had always wanted to be comforted and the action came so easily to Laken.

“In your world, touching is forbidden; in my world, it’s everything. I know it frightens you—I hear your heart pounding, but I won’t hurt you.”

Honor knew her heart wasn’t thumping wildly in her chest from fear. When he touched her she felt her belly flip-flop. Peter was her first real kiss, but it was done in malice on her part—to prove a point. There was no malice in Laken’s soothing gesture. Honor had a decision to make. She could cower at little glass figures and other strange objects, and roaming animals, or she could be the person she knew she was. She was a fighter; she had met the monster vampires and she was still alive; she had looked into the eyes of a polar bear and lived. Honor had braved the ice-clapping thunder sound. Maybe it was time she lived up to her name.

“Show me your world. Teach me, I’ll be brave,” she whispered.

Laken smiled.

* * * *

The first thing Laken wanted to teach Honor about was flight. If ever a scary situation erupted, he would need for her to be still and cling to him—not take a swing at him while in the air like a pro-boxer—she had a helluva right hook, for a human female. The sky outside was overcast and another storm was brewing, but Laken felt they had some time. There were shelters if he needed them.

“Honor, I’m going to take you in my arms, and I want you to hang on,” Laken said.

“What are you going to do?”

“Fly.”

Laken pressed her close to his chest and leaped into the air. Honor cried out. She clung to him. Her eyes squeezed closed. Laken could hear her heartbeat quicken. She was scared but not terrified. He didn’t take her far, just a little ways over the tall foliage within the perimeter of the fence.

He could tell each time she looked down; her heart rate shot up and she clung tighter. When Laken touched ground, he let Honor slip to the forest floor. Her knees buckled for a brief moment, but she maintained her footing.

“That—was—horrifying.” She gasped; her teeth were clacking together and Laken couldn’t help thinking she was so damned cute.

“And yet you live.”

“I was always told you would be surprised with what you can live through,” she muttered.

“If ever I feel you are in danger, I will need to move quickly, and Honor, I’m a fast son of a bitch.”

Her eyes rose in surprise. “Yes, I suppose you are.”

“There are animals here you have never seen. Anivamps walk the compound—much like Ursus who is a hybrid animal-vampire. They won’t hurt you, but the animals over the fence will. I know it sounds strange, but you are safer with the Anivamps. Never go over the fence, it’s too dangerous. There is enough area around here to keep you occupied.”

The sky rumbled again and a flash of lightning lit the sky. Honor jumped back into his arms. A slow grumble from the skies made her tremble harder. Laken ran his hand over her soft hair.

“The ice cracking makes that sound; it means death, and I’ve seen it firsthand. Why do flames shoot across the sky like cruel fire waving a wicked fist?” she asked.

“Thunder and lightning usually go hand in hand,” he explained. “It’s best to be inside during a bad storm.”

Laken pulled her into a cave and held her when the rain began to fall in heavy sheets. He stroked her hair and her arms. She was wearing a silk blue teddy. All breeder females wore the same garment, with many colors and styles to choose from. When the clasps on the bottom were opened it meant she was breeding with two chosen human males. Honor’s were closed.

When Honor shuddered at the booming thunder Laken sat on the dry ground in the cave and pulled her onto his lap. She cried out when the lightning hit something. Honor looked at him with so much confusion and though she tried to be strong, he heard the telltale thump of her erratic heartbeat. Laken wondered if she felt she should pull away because of the ice-dweller law—or remain put because of the coven law. She must be feeling so torn.

“What’s wrong, Honor?”

“It’s treason to touch, sex is forbidden, touching is forbidden, but I hated that law.”

Laken had wondered if she had.

“This isn’t sex. It’s a way to comfort someone in distress,” he said.

“I know some things about sex. I know we are different in our forbidden areas. I know a man has a cock whereas a woman’s genitals are tucked up inside. Talek says they are hidden because they are bad. He said a female hides her sex to be devious.”

Laken couldn’t help himself, he laughed. “A woman’s sex is hidden because it’s a treasure a man wants to plunder. It’s also nature’s way of protecting a baby; it’s ingenious, if you ask me.” Laken trailed his fingers across her belly.

“I like it when you touch me,” she said shyly.

“But it confuses you.”

“Yes.”

“People need to be touched, loved, held.”

“Do vampires?”

“Yes.”

“But I’m food,” she muttered.

“A baby drinks its mother’s milk, liquid sustenance much like a vampire needs blood. Does that make a mother only food to the child? She loves the child and nurtures it. I will keep you alive and safe, I have no doubt in time I will come to love you. In this coven, we all take care of each other. We are all important, human and vampire and animal, for the others’ survival. Your leader was right in a sense. If humans die, so will vampires; although, it would be a sad, lonely death for vampires. We could have saved the lives of only beasts. But we chose humans as well. I was human once. I loved then and have again.

“I can’t talk to a beast like I am with you. I wouldn’t hold one like I do you. I wouldn’t make love to a beast as I want to make love to you. You’re not an animal of convenience. There is so much more to our relationship, my little spitfire.”

The rain storm was dying down and Laken stood, taking her with him. Honor was wide-eyed and curious at his words. She looked so innocent, like his Nanya, his precious Nanya who he had killed by accident. Honor was going to live. His little spitfire was going to learn about her new world—and he determined she would like it.

Chapter 7

After two weeks in solitude, sequestered in Laken’s room and quiet areas, Caine decided Honor could be introduced to the coven. Her bruising was still a bit blotchy but not too much of a concern. She had been going outside regularly and loved how the sun darkened her skin to what Laken referred to as a golden tan. Caine had given her a pair of the strange foot coverings with the strap between her toes, and she kept tripping over them and decided her feet would toughen up eventually—they did, and so she went barefoot.

Honor gripped Laken’s arm in a death hold as they stood in the huge room Laken had taken her to for dinner. It was easily five times the size of the main room of her ice dwelling. Sunlight shone from huge open windows. Wonderful smells permeated the air. There were many vampires dressed in black; Laken explained that was how she could tell vampire from human: all were male, all with dark as night hair. They were a stunning sight. Most of them were staring at her. Honor had met a few, but the entire room was filled with them. She was relieved to see Tavish and Caine; she had grown to like and trust both men.

During the two weeks of isolation, Laken had shown her the most entertaining, albeit frightening, sights. He had held her tight when she cried during the terrible storms that had thankfully lessened. His touch was growing bolder but not demanding. Honor shivered thinking of his thumbs trailing down her throat to linger at the tips of her breasts. He had kissed her forehead and cheeks occasionally and it was beyond pleasant. Irritatingly, when her heart began to pound he always stopped what he was doing.

Laken’s patience superseded any other person’s Honor had ever known. She found solace in Laken’s warm, comforting, safe bed; it was a far cry from the cold lonely furs she had grown up with. She slept nude beside him in his bed and not once had he demanded she try the sex thing. She knew he wanted to; it was a feeling she had, but he seemed to be waiting for something. It was wonderful to have him near in this strange new place; Honor didn’t feel so alone when he was with her. Laken made her feel important; he cared what she was thinking.

At first, Honor had been apprehensive lying naked in Laken’s arms, even though he remained in undergarments he called briefs; but with the storms, more often than not she found her body curled close to him. His hard form was a comfort in the open atmosphere that now ruled her world. If the roof were to be ripped off, she knew Laken would keep her safe. There were no ice chasms to fall into; Laken had explained she wouldn’t fall into the sky and stars weren’t humans trying to gain attention. Laken was the smartest man she had ever met, he was all-powerful and strove for her to realize it—she did, and the idea was wonderful. Nothing could hurt her when he was near—or far—he heard her any time Honor called his name.

Laken had handed her the sweetest bunny one day while out roaming—alive. Honor had felt the tears slide down her cheeks as she cuddled the first live animal of her entire life. Laken wasn’t a cruel man; the unreadable expression on his face while she held the bunny was curious. For a moment, she thought he had whispered the words,
oh Nanya,
but she wasn’t certain.

Honor stood openmouthed at all the people who were gazing at her curiously from around the room. There was a sea of faces; the elders had explained the vastness of an ocean. Honor didn’t know so many people could exist in one place. There were tables set up to dine at; it appeared everyone ate together. No one was placed above another; here it seemed everyone was equally important. An entire table held children—little children, older children, beautiful wonderful children, with both men and women fussing over them. There was a table with women who all sported rounded bellies.

They’re pregnant. And they are allowed to live.

Honor had been told as much, but seeing it was astounding; she held back the tears that flooded her eyes. The women looked happy and not terrified, their hands caressed those rounded bellies in fondness, not fear, and Honor suddenly ached to have a rounded belly of her own. A child couldn’t be exposed out here to die in this climate; it wouldn’t freeze to death. It was a magical sight to behold. Laken was practically pushing her towards a table and Honor dragged her gaze away from the pregnant women to see a huge table filled with handsome men and women of all different breeding ages. Honor gasped. Meg and Nora from her ice-dwelling labyrinth were seated at the table. They looked just as surprised to see her.

Meg glared at her. “So you’re the reason we’re here,” she snapped. “I should have known, Dylan was right.”

“I’m happy I’m here,” Nora said and smiled at Honor.

Honor gaped at the children’s table when a boy waved at her—it was Peter, beside him was the smiling beautiful teenage girl who had delivered Honor’s first meal. Laken sat Honor down at the breeder table. He looked sternly at the men who were all grinning at her, making her blush.

“This female is mine,” Laken said. His glowing white eyes traveled to each man. “No one is to touch her.”

Each male nodded, but they still stared. Honor was overwhelmed, men and women were forbidden from staring at one another, yet here it must be law to look at opposites. The men at the table were bare-chested and large, they seemed to devour her with their stares and looked unconcerned about it. The women wore the same attire as Honor and seemed just as curious. Plates of food were heaped on the tabletop, on large, rounded serving dishes or in bowls; Honor was told to help herself to anything she wanted and as much as she wanted. Honor had tried so many different foods in the last two weeks; she was used to the fare. She helped herself to spiced chicken and sweet fruits and the delicious spinach she had been served on her first day smothered in butter and salt and a darker spice Laken had called pepper.

“Where are the others?” Honor asked; she looked at Nora who seemed the friendlier of the two.