Hungry Cowboy

by Charlize Starr

  "My son," the king said, standing. "You have the honor of having the first pick of these new brides."

  Henry's scowl deepened.

  "Your last bride is old and will die soon," the king added in a gentle tone. "Take a look at this year's harvest and pick the three you like best."

  "Father, I don't need brides who have been kidnapped from their homes," Henry muttered. "This is a barbaric tradition—"

  "One you can change once you are king. For now, you are my subject and will not insult me." The king's voice took on a hard edge. "Three brides. You can seduce them at your own pace after they are in your chambers, but you will choose."

  Henry's hands clenched. He turned on his heel, barely giving the women a glance. His gaze lingered on Rachel, Leila and Becky. His eyes narrowed, then he pointed at them. "Those three."

  The king's brows rose. "Those?"

  "I'm tired of blondes," Henry said, sounding bored. "And I like how the little one is glaring at me."

  "I'll do more than glare," Leila muttered fiercely. "If he tries to touch me, I'll rip off his—"

  Rachel shook her head, cutting her off. She thought Henry had heard Leila's whispers, though, because a smile tugged at his lips. He looked at Rachel again and a puzzled expression crossed his face. Her heart leaped to her throat. She wanted to taste his lips on hers so badly…

  "Are you certain you want those three?"

  "Yes, father. Can I take them now?"

  The king frowned, but nodded. "Do as you wish, Henry. But the two dark ones are witches. Don't drink their blood."

  Henry's gaze swept down Rachel with renewed interest. He nodded. "Understood, father."

  He strode towards them, and Rachel stepped forward, meeting him. Her heart flip-flopped in her chest and a smile grew on her face. Henry. At last. Her Henry. She had wanted so long to see him, to be near him, that she couldn't stop herself. The moment he was close enough, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself to her toes, planting a firm kiss onto his lips.

  Chapter Two

  Humans thought blood was what gave vampires their strength. And it was true that they needed to drink regularly. Vampire bodies did not produce their own for some reason, and so taking from another was the only way keep the blood flowing in their veins. But they could survive months, years even, without tasting so much as a drop of blood, if they were careful. Henry himself had once gone five years without feeding.

  The same could not be said of sex.

  Sex was as vital to the survival of vampires as food was to humans. To go even one day without it was a hardship, and abstinence over several days made a vampire lose focus, weaken and become lethargic and confused.

  Henry had not had sex for almost a week now, and he trembled at being near three such young, strong-bodied women, especially after the kiss the oldest one gave him.

  He ushered his three new brides to his quarters quickly, his heart pounding in his chest. The woman who had kissed him was still holding his hand and all he could think of was her: tearing off her clothes, burying himself in her. He was panting by the time they got to his quarters. There, the last of the brides that he had chosen previously, Cheri, now white-haired, delicate and wrinkled, was sat in her chair next to the fire.

  "You took new brides, then?" she asked him, her fragile fingers clasping over his wrist when he went to kiss her forehead. Cheri surveyed the three women.

  "Please explain to them," Henry choked out. "I need…"

  Cheri nodded. Henry released her hand and headed for his room. He'd been taking care of himself for a week now, and he still had the strength to hold back until his new brides understood. Until one of them agreed to be in his bed. He would never touch a woman without her consent.

  It was bad enough to kidnap these women, to tear them from their families, but to pressure them into coupling with the man who, for all intents and purposes, had stolen them? It was barbaric, and he couldn’t do it.

  No, his people might be barbarians, but he was not. He would handle himself, and if he needed to he would seek out one of the vampire women who served the palace. He didn't get as satisfied with them as with human women, but it was better than nothing.

  To his surprise, the woman who had kissed him before followed him into his room. She closed the door behind them and pulled her shirt off. Henry stared at her magnificent body. She had substance to her that most of the women brought underground lacked. He'd never seen such a voluptuous figure before.

  "No," he gasped out, as she went to remove her her pants. "You don't know what—"

  "I do. Your father told you I'm a witch." Her warm brown eyes fixed on him, a slight smile on her face. She was the picture of calm. "I know you won't hurt me. Even if you tried, I'd simply use my magic to render you to jelly. I know what you need, Henry, and I'm here to give it to you."

  Henry stared at her. It must be his starvation, he couldn’t be hearing what he thought he was. "You… you know what I need?"

  She stepped closer, her gaze running down the length of his body, her eyes heated, stirring his desire.

  "Yes. And as I said, I will stop you if you hurt me. I promise not to turn you into jelly. At least not that way." A gleam came to her eye, but when he backed up again her brow furrowed. "Or is it that you're afraid that I'm unwilling?"

  Henry swallowed hard, letting his own gaze absorb her. She was very different to the usual women the hunters brought back. They usually brought blondes, for starters. Skin as pale as a vampire's, hair like gold, eyes like cornflowers. All with flat stomachs, flared hips, large breasts. This woman had dark hair, dark eyes, skin with a hint of ochre in it. Her stomach was rounded, breasts a little too small for her waist, arms a little too large. And yet as he gazed at her, Henry couldn't help but think she was perfection itself.

  "What's your name?"

  "Rachel." She laughed softly. "I forgot. You don't know me yet."

  "But… you know me?" He narrowed his eyes at her, trying to push past his hunger for her. He was not an animal. He could at least get to know her a little first.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm not just any witch, Henry. I can see the future. I have been waiting for this moment for years. I know you, and I love you. I want this more than I want my next breath."

  Henry's eyes widened. A Seer? Had his father kidnapped a Seer? For hundreds of years, his father had wanted a precognitive witch in his court. That she would be his son's bride… It could be dangerous for Rachel if his father ever found out.

  The thought vanished from Henry's mind as Rachel brushed her lips against his. With a groan of desire, he pulled her closer.

  ***

  Henry ran his hands down Rachel's arms, checking for any blemish on her skin. She didn't have so much as a bruise, and he let out a sigh of relief.

  "I told you that you weren't going to hurt me." She smirked at him.

  "So you really see the future, then?"

  She nodded.

  "And you came here willingly?"

  "I knew when the hunters were going to come for my sister and me, and we decided that we would allow them to take us. We have a better future as your brides than as homeless thieves above the surface. I wanted to start our relationship off right." She hesitated a moment. "But I don't see everything in the future, and I need to let you know something."

  He met her gaze, smiling happily. It usually took much longer than this to develop a good relationship with any one of his brides, and he was happy that Rachel was already comfortable with him. That she wasn't frightened of him. Hopefully, the other two would be the same.

  "I don't expect you will, but if you so much as lay a finger on my little sister, I will rip out your heart and cook it." Rachel's gaze and voice were steady.

  Henry's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"

  "You heard me. She's only seventeen. You are not going to touch her. After she turns twenty and is an adult, she can decide whether she wants you or not, but until then you don't even look at L
eila. Understood?"

  The order had Henry's hackles rising, but he could understand where Rachel was coming from. She was just protecting her younger sister, and that was something he could respect. "Which one is she?"

  "The other brunette."

  Henry nodded. "And the redhead? What about her?"

  "Becky." Rachel looked pensive for a moment and then shrugged one shoulder. "I never saw anything about your relationship with her. I just know that she and I are going to be very good friends. She's an adult. If she wants you, then that's her choice. I know you won't touch her if she doesn't want you to."

  "But your sister is another matter?"

  "No. I don't think you'd touch her, especially considering she'd rip your head off if you tried. I just wanted things to be clear between us."

  Henry nodded slowly. He was impressed that Rachel didn't seem jealous of his need for other women. "I understand. You are all I need for the moment, anyway."

  Rachel smiled, as though he had complimented her rather than just stated a fact. Truthfully, he should have taken new brides years ago. Cheri was too old and fragile to feed him any longer. He had thought he had time, but his younger bride, Florence, had died unexpectedly, leaving him with few prospects. She had only been forty years old. She should have lived another sixty years at least, more if she took health supplements in her older years.

  "Perhaps you should introduce me to your sister and friend?" he said politely, offering Rachel his arm.

  The Seer smiled, accepting his arm, and the two of them strolled out into the main chamber of his quarters. Cheri beamed at him and he pulled himself from Rachel to go to her. He pressed a kiss to her lips and squeezed her hand.

  "Are my brides caught up?"

  Rachel's sister, Leila, snorted. "Call me a bride again."

  It was clearly a challenge. Henry frowned as he gazed at the young woman. She was young, too young for him, and she clearly wanted nothing to do with him. Her hands flexed as she glared at him, and he wondered if she wanted to tear his head off even though he had not made a move towards her.

  "Rachel has explained to me that she is a Seer, and you knew what you were getting into," he said. "But I want to reassure you–all of you." He glanced at Becky, who shivered but help his gaze. "You are my brides according to vampire law, but I will not touch any of you without your permission. I am sorry for how you came to me. The hunt is a barbaric tradition."

  Rachel stepped up to him and smiled. He smiled back. This was going to take some getting used to, having a woman he didn't know accept him so readily. He liked it, but it was still a little odd.

  "Now," he said, sitting beside Cheri and tugging Rachel into his lap. "Why don't we get to know each other better?"

  Chapter Three

  "How about this?" Rachel stepped out of her personal bathroom to show Leila, Becky, and Cheri a possible dress for her evening stroll with Henry.

  Each of the girls had their own room and bathroom attached to the main room in Henry's chambers. There were only three rooms, though, and so Cheri usually slept in Henry's room. Henry spent his nights either with Rachel or sleeping on the couch. Resting was a more apt description, though. He did sleep, but only for an hour or two. The rest of the night he spent in meditation.

  The old woman tilted her head, observing the black satin that Rachel was wearing. "You look better in bright colors. Red looks ravishing on you."

  "She doesn't need to look ravishing," Leila snapped. At Rachel's look, the young witch scowled. "I just hate this whole thing. You might be totally in love with him, but nobody asked me or Becky if we wanted to be here. Have you seen the way the vampires look at us if we leave these rooms when Princey isn't around?"

  Cheri patted her hand. "Nobody will dare to touch you. You're a witch and the prince's bride."

  Leila crossed her arms. "I'm not worried about myself, but what about all those other women who were 'harvested'? What happened to them?"

  Cheri sighed and turned away. Rachel slipped back into the bathroom. She had known there would be a lot of adjustments to be made, especially where Leila was concerned, but they had been with the vampires for several weeks now and, if anything, her sister was getting more difficult.

  The question of the other girls, where they came from and where they were now, still nagged at Rachel, but she preferred to concentrate on what was right before her.

  Becky seemed to be adjusting to life with them. Like the sisters, she had no other family and was one step from living on the streets when the vampires took her. It was the same story with Cheri, who had been brought into Henry's life almost seventy years ago. So far, only Leila was holding out from starting to accept Henry into their lives. She spent her days in her room with the kindle, reading her comics. Maybe if she would actually make the effort to get to know Henry…

  Shaking her head, Rachel changed back into the red dress that Cheri liked. This was a big night for her, and she wanted everything to go perfectly. She had convinced Henry to take her for a walk around the underground lake that the vampire city was built around. It still amazed her that such wonders could be built under the surface. The lake seemed the perfect location to tell him the exciting news.

  After Rachel was dressed, Becky helped her with her hair, and she was soon ready to go. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach, but she beamed when Henry came to pick her up. He was wearing an old-fashioned waistcoat with a ruffled shirt and blood-red ruby cufflinks. It was exactly how she remembered him.

  The smile on his face was all she needed to know that with him was where she was meant to be.

  "I brought these for you." He handed her a dozen black roses. "And these for my other br—"

  Leila made a growling noise.

  "Beautiful guests," Henry quickly amended. "And of course, my lovely Cheri."

  He handed each other the other women a red rose. Leila took hers reluctantly, glaring daggers at Henry the whole time. Rachel sighed, but she knew it would take time. She just had to be patient. Leila would come around eventually.

  ***

  Hundreds of fireflies danced over the water, reflecting in its dark ripples. It was like a sky of moving stars. Rachel beamed, her arm tucked into Henry's. She was always surprised by how cold his skin was, more like a statue than ice. Her temperature had always run hot, and sleeping with him at night cooled her enough to have the piles of blankets on her that she loved.

  "Henry, I have to tell you something."

  The prince stopped. Streetlamps dotted the area, lighting the smile on his face. "Yes?"

  "I know that it's only been a few weeks," she started, and the butterflies started dancing the cha cha. "But you know how I can see the future sometimes."

  "How could I forget?" Henry laughed. "But don't talk about it in public. I haven't told my father yet."

  "Well… it's how I know that I'm pregnant."

  She held her breath despite herself, excited for his reaction, yet nervous, too. It was something she had never been permitted to see in her visions, how the love of her life reacted to hearing that they were going to be parents. She had imagined it so much…

  But she never thought that his face would darken and that he would practically tear himself away from her. She stumbled, losing her balance from his sudden departure. Her eyes widened as she caught herself on the lamppost. Henry stared at her as though she had just announced his death. She stared back, bewildered.

  "Henry?"

  "You're pregnant?" His voice was hard but audibly shook. "So who's the father? Is that why you were so eager to get here because you were pregnant and wanted to make me think it was mine?"

  Rachel gasped, too shocked to respond.

  "And you know you're pregnant because of your visions? Ha! You were already pregnant when you got here!"

  It was like steel seeped into her blood. Rachel felt herself going rigid and her hands curled into fists. He thought she was using him? But her visions…. they were meant to be together. She tried to keep a lid
on her temper. He didn't know her, not the way she knew him. It was only natural for him to have his doubts.

  "Just admit it!" His voice rang through the air.

  Magic flowed from her before she could stop it. A wave of blue light emanated from her body, picking up Henry and throwing him twenty feet. He landed hard, bracing his hands to catch himself. A sickening crunch rang through the air and Rachel gasped. She ran to his side, her eyes filling with tears.

  "I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to. I don't always have control of my magic. Are you hurt?"

  Henry winced as he sat up. "I'm fine."

  "I'm pregnant and the child is yours, Henry," she whispered. "I don't understand why you don't believe me."

  Henry glanced up at her, but the fire vanished from his eyes when he took in the tears rolling down her face. He touched her cheek, his shoulders hunching. "It's not that I don't believe you, sweetheart. I'm sorry for my reaction. I shouldn't have… The truth is that I didn't want to believe you."

  Rachel flinched. "Why?" she whispered, her voice plaintive. "I've been so excited for so long… I was certain you would be just as excited. Is it because I'm human? Because I'm a witch? Or is it because I'm a Seer and your father will be angry?"

  "No. No, it's none of that." Henry shook his head. "Vampires can't have children."

  "But—"

  "What I should say is that vampires can't have children under normal circumstances. Royalty is the exception to the rule. Our hearts might beat slowly, but unlike the others, they do beat."

  Rachel hesitantly put a hand on his knee. Henry's shoulders sagged, his head bowed. What could be so awful that it would affect him this way? The exception to the rule, he had said. Was this pregnancy going to kill her? She hadn't seen the baby's birth. Coldness filled her, freezing the butterflies that had been in her stomach moments before. Was she going to die?

  "For as far back as our memories allow, our kings have only had one child. A son." Henry pressed a trembling hand to Rachel's stomach. "But they were always born when the king was only a prince. As soon as the current prince has an heir to replace him with, the old king dies within a year." He rested his forehead against hers. "If you're pregnant with my child, it means my father is going to die."