Larissa tilted her head. “Are you considering leaving?”
Annalise fidgeted. “No. I just, I have things at home I need to return to or at least make arrangements for. I have an apartment, a job, and in a week I would have been graduating from college.”
Larissa’s eyes lit up. “You go to college and live on your own?”
“Yes, it’s what most single women do. Even mothers sometimes support themselves.”
“Who takes care of the children?”
“They do,” Anna said. “I mean, we have day cares and stuff so when a mom is working, her kids are taken care of, but she does all the work and feeds her family.”
Larissa’s eyes became unfocussed as she took on a dreamlike stare. “What happens when a man is needed?”
“For what? Sex?”
Larissa’s head jerked in Annalise’s direction, and Gracie snorted. “I…no, I meant when something heavy needed to be fixed, but now I want to know about what you mentioned.”
“Do not pretend you even care about that,” Gracie teased her sister.
“Hush. Please, tell me more, Anna.”
Anna sat back in her chair. “Well, if there is something a girl needs done that is considered ‘men’s work,’” she said with air quotes, “and if she can’t do it herself, she hires a contractor to do it, but women do all kinds of stuff. We cut grass and drive trucks. Some women are even soldiers. As far as sex, if a girl wants to do it, she does. It’s her choice.”
“What about the men?”
“What about them? If they want to sleep with a woman, they ask and hope they have good game.”
“What if she says no?”
Annalise frowned. “Well, that’s rape. They do that and they wind up in jail.”
“Jail?”
“Yeah, prison. It’s against the law to force a woman, no matter what. Even if they’re married.”
Larissa took a deep breath and then sat back as if digesting everything she had just heard. “It must be nice to have such freedom.”
Something had shifted in the air. Annalise looked at Adam’s sisters and suddenly felt pity for Larissa. For all of her beauty, there was something inherently sad about her. She thought about the way her husband dropped her off and told her they would leave as soon as the meeting was over. He didn’t greet his sister-in-law or even appear to notice her. “Larissa, does Silus force you?”
The woman’s head shot up, her cheeks flushing a dark shade of red, and stared back at Anna. “He is my husband.”
“I understand, but—”
Gracie placed a hand on Annalise’s. “It is not proper to involve yourself in another married couple’s personal affairs.”
Annalise scoffed. “I don’t care.” Looking back at Larissa, she softly asked, “Does he hurt you?”
Larissa’s mouth opened and closed. Her eyes glazed with tears. A small sound escaped her lips, and then she turned as the sound of horses coming up the drive broke the silence. “The men are back. Excuse me.” Anna watched as Larissa fled the house and went into the private outhouse outside. Gracie began quietly gathering the items they had been working on and folding them. Apparently that was the end of their discussion, but Anna planned on continuing the discussion later that evening with Adam.
Chapter 16
Adam left his grandfather’s long after dark. He regretted not being able to visit Anna even once during the long day. After the meeting, in which they discovered Cain was nowhere to be found, he had followed his father to his grandparents’ house. At dusk his father headed home, but Ezekiel had asked Adam to stay.
He had supped with his grandparents, riddled with guilt, knowing Anna was waiting for him at his own table. After supper, he and his grandfather had moved to the parlor where he sat through an excruciating lecture about why he needed to tell Anna the truth of what he was. The man was right. Time was slipping away from him, and he needed to complete the bonding. The only solace he found in sitting through a lecture of reasons Adam had already lectured himself on was the fact that his grandfather had an endless supply of distilled blood. Adam drank until his stomach could hold no more. Finally, around ten o’clock he left.
As he cut past the barn closest to the house, a small sound caught his ear. Prepared for battle in case it was his missing brother, he turned and stepped closer. A small lamb shuffled out of the shadows as if dazed and drunk and trotted out toward the pasture.
“Gracie?”
He heard his sister laugh. “How did you know it was me?”
“You have always had a soft heart for the small, fuzzy creatures.”
She stepped from the shadows and brushed some hay off of her skirts. “They taste better, and are easier for me to hold.”
He smiled at her. Gracie had her own brand of charming. One he had never been able to ignore. He tousled her hair over her bonnet and said, “Where is Anna?”
“She’s sleeping in your room. How was the meeting?”
“Pointless. Cain is missing, and no one has seen him since yesterday.”
“He will show up eventually.”
They began walking toward the house. “I do not mind his absence right now.”
“I never do,” she said.
Adam held the door for her and hung his hat on the peg in the kitchen. He began walking toward the back of the house, and Gracie pouted, “That’s it? You have a mate now and no longer have time for your dear baby sister?”
He paused and turned back to face her. She smiled. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her, placing a kiss on her head. “I will always have time for you, Grace, but right now I do not have the energy to guard my thoughts and I don’t believe you would want to know what I am thinking.”
“Ew!” She pushed him away. “You two have very dirty minds.”
Adam took the stairs two at a time. He entered his room to find the lantern already extinguished, but his eyes still made it possible for him to clearly see Anna’s small form tucked neatly in the center of his bed. He removed his clothing quickly and slid under the covers, pulling her backside to his front. She grumbled something in her sleep, and he kissed her ear. For as much as he drank at his grandfather’s, the scent of her blood had his fangs aching and punching through his gums. It was a good thing he had not lit the lanterns.
“Adam?”
“Hello, ainsicht. I have missed you.”
She moaned. “You missed dinner.”
“I am sorry. I had business to discuss with my grandfather that I could not get out of.” He slid the sleeve of her chemise down her arm and untied the front of her nightgown. His hands fit perfectly over her soft breasts.
She sighed. “I met Larissa today.”
“I imagined Silus would drop her here while he was away.”
Adam pressed his erection into her bottom and raised the hem of her gown. He needed to speak to her, but presently could only concentrate on getting inside of her.
“I wanted to ask you about him.”
“Who?” He lifted her leg over his thigh and found her wet and ready for him.
“Silus.”
He groaned. “Do not speak to me of other men while I am making love to you.”
“We are not making love.”
He pressed his length into her from behind, filling her to the hilt. She moaned, and he plucked her nipples. Kissing her neck he whispered, “Yes, we are.”
She melted into his arms as he slowly slid himself in and out of her heat. He guided her gown the rest of the way down her arms and then raised her bare arms above her head. As he lay on his side behind her, his fingers followed the beautiful curves from her breasts to her hip.
Her fingers knotted tightly with his right hand where he held her arms out of his way. He licked and kissed her neck, wishing he could drink from her. Her hips began to rock back to his as the scent of her need filled the room. The fingers of his left hand found her tiny bundle of nerves, just above where their bodies were joined, and he began to strum her there.
As her movements grew less controlled, her small keening cries filled the room. He rubbed faster, and her heart rate increased. When he sensed she was close, he lightly bit down on her shoulder, careful not to break the skin, and pinched her bud between his fingers. She came apart in his arms, the walls of her sex contracting tightly around his cock as her body pulsed and shook.
He slowly teased her through her climax and then turned her to her belly. She melted into the new position, and he laughed. Gripping her sides he raised her hips into position and slid smoothly back into her core. Her cheek rested on the blankets, and her hands fisted the pillows. He could reach much deeper with this position. He began with slow movements, leisurely rocking in and out, but soon she began moving her hips with his again, and their pace increased.
Not wanting to leave her sore, he paced his thrusts, sending them long and deep, but waiting a moment or two in between. After several minutes of making love just so, he felt her begin to tighten around him again. Never had he imagined a mate so responsive to his own body. He lifted her and gripped her luscious breasts as they swung with each hard pump of his cock. She began to climax again, and this time he joined her, both of them falling over the edge of ecstasy together, the way it would always be. He would make sure of it.
After several minutes of simply lying side by side catching their breaths, Anna turned on her side and said, “Tomorrow you’re gonna have to take one of those buggy things into town and pick up some condoms.”
He frowned in the dark. “That is not an issue you need to concern yourself with.”
She scoffed. “It is if I get pregnant.” He couldn’t hide his smile over the idea of her belly swelling with his child inside. “Are you smiling?” She smacked his chest. “It’s not funny, Adam. I’m twenty-three. I’m not ready to have children.”
“Twenty-three is a fine childbearing age.”
“Not for me. Besides, we don’t even know what we’re doing yet.”
“How do you mean?”
She gestured between them in the dark. “This. You call me your mate, but that means nothing to me. I grew up wanting a family someday with a man I called my husband.”
“I will marry you tomorrow if that is what you want.”
She laughed. “Sheesh, way to propose. I’m gonna go ahead and veto that one so if you do ask, you can do it right.”
“I know the English have grand and fancy ceremonies. We have traditions, too. They are just older and more private. You say being my mate means nothing to you. That should not be. It means everything to my kind, and soon it will mean everything to you.”
“But I do not understand what being a mate entails.”
He sighed. “We need to speak of things I fear will only confuse you more.”
She frowned. “That sounds serious. Maybe we should turn on a light so that I can actually see you.”
Having forgotten that she did not have the power to see in the dark, he stood and lit a lantern. She sat up and readjusted her nightgown. He carried the chair from the corner and placed it in front of the bed where she sat with her legs curled under her.
He sighed. He had no idea how to explain this to her.
“Just tell me, Adam. Whatever it is. I can handle it.”
He gave a humorless chuckle. Needing a minute to collect his thoughts, he stood and retrieved a fresh pair of trousers from his dresser. Sitting back down he said, “What do you see when you look at my parents?”
“I see two people in love.”
“Yes, but does their appearance strike you as odd?”
“Well, yes, I mean it did at first. At first I thought your father was your brother and then your mother told me how spread apart you and your siblings were and I couldn’t believe it. I just figured she aged really, really well.”
“You met Larissa today. How old do you think she is?”
“Well, I know she’s older than you, but you look young, too. You all do. I would guess she was thirty-eight?”
“She is forty-nine.”
“What? That’s impossible. She’s way too fair to be that age. She doesn’t even have crow’s-feet. Not to mention that would make your mother at least sixty-something.”
“My mother is older than sixty-something.”
Her expression dropped. He watched as Anna tried to comprehend what he was saying. She leaned back and eyed him. Without any inflection to her voice, she asked, “How much older?”
“She is seventy-eight.”
She forced a laugh. “You’re kidding. I know you’re kidding.”
“I am not kidding, nor do I lie. My mother is seventy-eight, which is still rather young for our kind.”
“Your kind? What the hell does that mean?”
He knew she was upset so he did not comment on her foul language. “Our ancestors traveled here from Europe on a ship called The Charming Nancy. It was carrying many Puritans, but of a different belief than what the Americas had recently been visited with. These men and women believed in a simpler lifestyle. They did not want the burdens that came with the new technologies or the greed that clouded men’s minds. They called themselves Amish.
“My relatives were not supposed to be on the ship, but found their way there nonetheless. They learned from these Christians and found much value to their beliefs. You see, our people live very long and the ever-changing ways of the world can become confusing and bothersome. We listened to their basic teaching and adapted our lives to lives much like the Amish.
“My great uncle and another man, who is now the bishop, purchased this land and many generations have expanded overtime. We do not want to be bothered by the English and have created a land that for the most part, can support itself.”
“That’s nice, Adam, but what do you mean you don’t age?”
She did not look like she was preparing to bolt, but she also didn’t appear to believe what he said. “If I show you something do you promise not to become shrecklich, frightened? I promise. You are safe with me. I would never let harm come to you.”
“Okay.”
He stood and found his razor from that morning. Sitting across from her he eyed her. “You study medicine, correct?”
“Yes.”
He quickly slashed the blade down his arm, cutting deep and slicing through several veins.
“Oh, my God, Adam! What are you doing!” she screamed. She jumped off the bed gathering the sheets. Before she could turn back around, he bolted to the far end of the room. He watched as she frantically looked for him, her eyes unable to follow the fast movement. When she spotted him, she ran to his side, but he was already gone. “What’s going on? How are you doing that! You’re bleeding, let me help you!”
The fact that she was crying now touched him but also distressed him. He held up his arm, the flesh already knitting itself together. The gash now appeared to be only a light scratch.
She dropped the sheet and whispered, “You tricked me. Why did you trick me?”
“I did not trick you, ainsicht. I cut myself. That was my blood. My body can heal from most injuries with little effort.”
Her vacant eyes stared back at his arm, her voice barely a whisper. “I don’t believe you.”
“Shall I demonstrate again?”
She looked at him. “I saw you cut yourself. I smelled the blood. I can still see it on your skin.”
“Anna, I am not much different than you. I simply can withstand more injuries.”
“Are the rest of them like that?”
“Yes, we all are.”
“Why?”
“I do not know. I am not old enough to remember, and most of our family’s history was documented and left in Europe. It was not a pleasant time back then. The elders hardly speak of it. There were no laws to protect our kind or the…the people like you.”
“How many are there?”
“On the farm? There are approximately two hundred of us spread across these eight hundred acres. In the world? I do not know. We do not want the
m to find us nor care to find them.”
“Why?”
“Because we are Christians and live as such. We live peacefully amongst our own and want things to remain that way.”
“But you came to find me.”
“That is different. You are my mate.”
“But I’m not like you. I fell out of a tree fort when I was six and broke my arm. I had chicken pox when I was seven and I get the flu every winter. Do you get sick?”
“No.”
“That’s crazy. Adam, your people never get cancer or have heart attacks?”
“Never.”
“How long do you live?”
“We live until we choose to die or until someone kills us.” She began rubbing her head. “Do you need to lie down?”
“I have a headache.” She then huffed. “Not that you know what that feels like.”
“I have had a headache. When I was a boy, a workhorse kicked me in the head. It hurt very badly.”
She looked at him as if he were crazy. “Well, my head does not hurt that bad.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “Can I ask you something?” He nodded. “If you live so long, why do you want me as your mate? How many mates do you take in a lifetime? Because as much as I may be coming to terms with all of this, I gotta tell you, the idea of you replacing me for the next thousand years does not make me happy.”
He smiled. She was jealous of women who did not now, nor ever would exist. “Anna, if you became my mate, it would be for eawichkeit, eternity. I would give you immortality.”
“You can do that?”
“Yes. It is not something we take lightly, but it is done when one of us find a true mate.”
“How?”
Was she ready to hear more? He figured she would have to know eventually. “It takes place several hours after the bonding ceremony is complete.”
“And what exactly happens?”
He cleared his throat. “Well, we will make love, and there will be a blood exchange. My blood will mix with yours and yours will mix with mine. My blood is more potent and will override and change your cells. The process takes anywhere from two to four hours for the rebirth, and the transition can last up to three days.”
Called to Order [The Order of Vampyres 1] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 18
