A Vampire To Watch Over Me [Vampire Coven Book II] (3 page)

“I will listen, Tavish,” Laken said and wept. “Nanya, I am so sorry. I will find you, someday. I swear it.”

I swear it. I swear it.

Chapter 1

“Oh fuck off.”

“
Honor.
You know you are not allowed to say
that
word.”

“Fine then. Go to hell you piss worm, cock-sucking, shit-brained ass of a damned dumb loser.”

“Honor!”

“Well—I didn’t say fuck, did I?”

“My mother will be furious when I tell on you; she’ll tell my father. Talek will beat you.”

“If Talek touches me,” Honor said through gnashed teeth, “I’ll kick his nuts so hard and high he’ll be able to suck his own cock.”

“You need to show more respect for your elders, girl.”

Honor hated being called
girl
. It was as though it was a disease. So she didn’t have a dick, so what? She was smarter than any
boy
in their ice dwelling and she was faster too. No one knew the tunnels in their ice dwelling better than she. Since she was forbidden to go outside, Honor had spent many of her twenty-two years traipsing through the iceberg she and her ancestors called home for the last two hundred and fifty years.

A sly smile lit Honor’s face as her lips curled at each side—she hoped she looked as sinister as she was feeling. It was working, because as she moved forward, her ‘cousin,’ Peter, moved back. Peter may have been taller than her five-foot-five frame and the fat ass outweighed her by, she guessed, at least a hundred pounds. But when Honor wanted to, she could be as evil as sin. Why shouldn’t she? Destined to live a life without love, or touching. She was already being punished for being a girl. Why not let the punishment fit the crime?

“Peter, Peter, ice piss eater,” she taunted.

“You’ll be sorry.”

Peter was five years younger than Honor. He and his twin sister were the last of their ice dwellers to be born. Peter was allowed to live—spared, really, as he was an accident. Peter was a boy and could be taught to hunt. Though Honor had her suspicions, Peter was allowed to live to make certain Honor obeyed after his father died, groomed to be Honor’s jailer. Peter’s sister hadn’t been as lucky. The girl babe would have had to spend her entire life inside the ice cap; she was a liability and considered nothing more than a lifelong burden. Two wailing babies was also twice the danger to the clan.

Talek had yanked the naked, seconds old, film-covered babe from her mother’s arms and taken her out to expose her to the frozen land. His first act of new leadership after Honor’s father had died. Talek thought it would prove how strong he was—how committed to his cause of saving the world’s humanity, by letting the human race die out. Honor had never hated anyone more in her entire life than she did that day. All Talek had shown was that he was a follower in the most heinous, twisted way. Honor made it her mission to defy him.

All females were forbidden to leave the ice labyrinth—
it was law
. Vampires ruled the world. They had since the ice age hit in the tail end of the twenty-first century. Humans had made a pact in the last twenty years or so—all breeding was forbidden. A runner had found his way to many inhabited icebergs to relay the news throughout the years. It was a death sentence to females. Already trapped within the walls, this was a new tragedy.

Leaders insisted it was for the good of them all. All sex was outlawed. There was to be no touching, no physical contact to go along with the already strict rules of survival. Men were the martyrs of the world. When humans died, the vampires would die. It had made Honor not so honorable. With both her parents dead, she listened to no one—not even Talek the almighty.
The almighty idiot
.

“Go ahead, tell,” Honor wheedled. “Do what you want. It means I’ll do what I want to.”

“What will you do?” Peter whispered, wide-eyed.

“I’ll piss in the stew—or in your bed.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Dumb ass. You realize who you’re talking to?”

“I won’t tell.”

“That’s a good little
boy
.”

“One day, Honor, you’ll be sorry. I’ll be a man soon and I won’t let you get away with what you do. Father has been teaching me lessons on the importance of our vows to purge the Earth.”

“Mmm, then teach
me
a lesson.”

Before Peter knew what was happening Honor moved forward onto her tip toes and ground her lips onto his. Peter pushed her hard, but she clung tight to his furs. When Honor’s tongue invaded his mouth she knew she had him. Peter stopped fighting and pulled her closer. His fur pants rubbed against the front of Honor in a grinding fashion. Funny sounds emanated from the back of his throat. Peter’s fists sank into her furs around her, crushing her shoulders and his wet sloppy lips seemed as though he couldn’t get enough of her. When she broke the kiss he looked awestruck. He was panting in huge gasps of air fighting to breathe.

If you could only see the look on your face, you pathetic boy.

“Oh dear—did we commit a treasonous act? Hmm, I believe
we
did. No sex, remember. Your father’s rules, Peter, not mine. Oh don’t worry, we aren’t really related. Your father just says we’re cousins because family can’t breed together and this situation makes it easier to obey the laws. Just remember, your father got a chance to use his cock. You never will. Your own father emasculated his son. You have so much to think about, for, perhaps, the next
sixty or seventy years,
while we rot in here, together, perhaps all alone one day. While your cock withers away.”

Honor chuckled as she strode off. She had no family left and she had no doubt, one day, Peter would be stronger. Because of a promise made to her father Talek couldn’t lay a hand on her. Peter had made no promise. It would be better for her if she controlled him now. And after that kiss she knew just how to do it.

The long freezing tunnel they had been in opened into a large cold room. The ceiling was at least twenty feet high; over the years, the ice walls had worn to create a bigger living area. Honor went to sit on her mound of furs. There were ten others in the room; she was ignored for the most part. Nora, a pretty woman also of childbearing years, offered a quick fleeting smile then looked guiltily about as though she had broken a rule. Meg, older but also considered of childbearing years because she still bled, frowned at Nora. No one else spared Honor a glance. Peter wandered into the main room soon after her. He was still red and looked miserable. Peter’s mother frowned at her son then finally acknowledged Honor.

“I think the two of you are too old to be playing hide and seek,” Peter’s mother admonished.

“We weren’t playing,” Peter said and glared at his mother.

“Then what were you doing?”

Honor and Peter stiffened as Talek came into the room followed by seven other men. The men were covered in blood, their backpacks loaded and bulging, furs were draped over shoulders. Their hunt was a success. Talek nodded at his wife, giving her quiet recognition. He grinned at his son who had gone beet red with embarrassment and glanced at Honor.

“Have you been regaling my son with more of your colorful words?” Talek asked Honor.

You mean something like: Oh how I’d love to shit in your meat?
“Of course not,” she answered innocently.

“If you’re going to lie to me, at least make it more convincing,” Talek said.

Honor’s fists clenched. A profanity on the tip of her tongue ached to be released, but she knew Dylan, Talek’s right hand man, would slap her silly. She wisely kept quiet. Dylan stood glaring at her—daring her. He was a handsome man of thirty-two. Honor thought if he got laid he might not be as grouchy.

Honor knew what sex was, sort of. Before the no breeding law was passed in their ice dwelling, it was all the adults ever did. There wasn’t much else to do. There still wasn’t much else to do except exist and be bored out of their minds. No one ever told Honor they loved her. She was a nothing girl, considered worthless because she couldn’t hunt. She bet she could hunt better than anyone if they would just teach her. But no, she had to keep her and her vagina safely hidden away so that lusty vampires couldn’t force her to breed.

Honor watched as the women stored away the meat the men brought back. She didn’t bother to help. She was worthless, so why not act it? No one could make her work. Dylan had tried a few times, but Honor wouldn’t be bullied, and on rare occasions when pushed too hard, Honor struck back. Because he had failed to force her obedience on a continuous basis, Dylan stopped trying—he only embarrassed himself. He was satisfied with the few slaps he could get away with when Honor swore and Dylan had the entire clan to back him.

Dinner in the dwelling was always such a somber state of affairs. The men ate first, then the women who prepared the food. Honor was last. There was always enough to eat, but it was so dull. Fish, seal, sometimes a huge white rabbit. Honor hated it when they brought the poor little bunnies back. Talek knew this and she swore he did his best to slaughter the creatures in the worst way possible. The bastard may have sworn an oath to her father that he wouldn’t hurt Honor, but it didn’t keep him from tormenting her by regaling what he thought of as hunting prowess—when all he did was murder helpless bunnies.

Honor went to the cooking pot and scooped up a bowl of the fishy broth in a bone bowl. She sat on her furs and sipped her meal as the others prepared to sleep. The contents warmed her belly, but her mouth only went through the motions of slurping and swallowing. It was the same thing she’d eaten for breakfast and lunch. When Honor finished, she made the pretense of settling into her furs. The fire, which sat upon a slew of rocks, which sat upon a number of thick hides, was burning down. The men had dragged in driftwood as well. It was set to the side to dry. Burnable fuel was always a challenge. Anything salvageable that could be brought in was considered fair game.

Honor was chilled, her ass felt frozen. Most nights she shivered herself to sleep. The better furs were for the hunters and the few who were considered married—those who still had a spouse or relative who cared. Honor got what was left, bare minimum—
bare
was right. Honor could see her breath. She fantasized about being warm. Warm in a fur with a handsome man touching her in forbidden areas, telling her he loved her and wanted her baby. Her thoughts were treason of course, but even Talek couldn’t climb into her mind.

After a hunt, the men were always exhausted. Everyone was to remain as quiet as possible and so they all slept. It was Honor’s favorite time of all. Soon enough, soft breathing and snores filled the main area to indicate everyone was dutifully asleep. The familiar sounds of the ice crackling and groaning were a constant, familiar lull. Honor crept from her furs as quietly as possible and, through touch, felt her way to the smaller tunnel they had been working at carving out. She had grown to love the feel of the lumpy ice; she felt the grooves and niches, a road map of discovery in her dark dreary world.

She wasn’t exempt from touching ice, it wasn’t human and contact was allowed. It was so different from feeling soft furs. The texture was firm, like a man’s chest might be. Honor imagined it had life, the glacier moved after all—anything was possible. It made human sounds when it popped, like expelled gas. It shifted form, retreated and returned, each new discovery was a gift of something different to add to her existence when she craved new innovation.

To Honor’s excitement a small opening had formed near the end of the tunnel. Crouching low, Honor slid her way through the hole and stood. Higher up she climbed, placing her feet onto small ledges. A trace of light now aided her direction and she grew curious. At the top of the hole was another aperture, too small for any man; as it was, Honor shrugged out of her fur jacket to fit.

Once through the gap, there was one more cavity. This area was larger; shivering, Honor shrugged back into her jacket. She poked her head through the next hole, wondering how far the cavern led. Euphoria surged through her body, and Honor stared in stunned surprise. Everywhere she looked was wide open. The heavens stretched for miles every which way she turned her head; there was no ceiling. Honor gasped—she was looking at outside. She had heard of a moon, big, round, white and there it sat. How could it just sit in the sky? What held it there and kept it from falling? It had to be the moon—she was told the sun made the entire day light up and the ice cave a little less drab. Bright lights twinkled from high in the darkness.
Stars
—they had to be stars. It was breathtaking and frightening. Honor’s heart was pounding in excitement and some fear; the Earth was a monstrosity. Even in her wildest imagination, she hadn’t realized anything could be so large.

Honor breathed in the scent of freedom. The land was ice and snow; it went on forever as far as her eyes could see and she could see so far. It was as though her sight was given free reign, no walls to capture and imprison her vision—it was set loose. Honor had no idea she could see so far, she had no idea her eyes were so remarkable. The idea of looking for more was so tempting. If only there was something out there Honor would leave and never look back.

Just to be standing there with her head poking out staring at the moon and stars was an act of treason. It was a dumb law; it was made to control women; only men could see and experience the beauty of the world the laws were destined to destroy. Men could go out, why couldn’t she? Men could make babies—they couldn’t grow them, but they were needed as badly. It made no sense.

Taking a deep breath and with her heart pounding as though it too wanted to escape the confines of her chest, Honor pulled herself out of the hole and onto the ice. She wanted to walk on that snow. Who could it hurt? Honor lifted each foot and set it into the mound of whiteness as she stood. It crunched and gave way unlike the hard ice. Her feet sank a small way and for a second she was afraid she would be covered over. When her feet hit hardness, she grinned, feeling her face almost explode in delight. She needed, wanted, more; she wanted to scream her happiness with the experience.