Looking down at Hope and Ann, Rhett realized all Hope would have is Ann, and even then not for long. He couldn’t offer her any compassion. Another thing women had taken from him—a willingness to love, a willingness to let someone into his heart. But he wouldn’t be fooled again.
“I missed you, Mommy.” Ann’s little twittering voice made him smile. “You squeezing me.”
Hope was clinging to the child, her lifeline. Rhett could see it was more than that. Hope loved her little girl. Rhett had thought Cecily had loved Acca. Maybe she had, she had never been cruel to their child. But she had raced off by the time the last shovel of dirt was placed on their daughter’s grave. Rhett had removed the child’s body and tenderly laid her to rest in the family tomb. He had given her the place meant for him, something he would never need. No one would ever know.
“I have friends,” Ann said excitedly. “I never did before.” The child hugged her ragtag dolly to her chest. No doubt Mercy had made certain the doll had been properly sanitized as well before giving it back to Hope to give to Ann.
“Do you?” Hope was kneeling and set the child a small way from her to gaze into Ann’s animated face. Rhett could see the woman battled tears.
“Yes, Galf is mine. So’s Tina.” Rhett chuckled as Ann listed off three more children possessively.
“Sounds like you’ve been busy.” Hope smiled as she traced a finger down Ann’s cheek.
“We gonna swim, too.”
“Really?” Rhett heard the alarm in Hope’s voice. He chose then to make his entry. Hope jumped to her feet and pulled Ann to her side.
“Before long you’ll be my little fish,” Rhett said. He lifted Ann into his arms and saw it took everything Hope had not to make a grab for her child.
“I can’t be a fish,” Ann said and giggled. “I’m a girl.”
“My little mermaid?” Rhett said.
“What’s a mermaid?” Ann asked.
Rhett laughed. “Honey, have I got the perfect story to tell you before bedtime tonight.”
“Mommy tells stories.”
“Does she? Well she can tell you one too, if she likes.”
“Where will we sleep?” Hope asked. Her voice was tight.
“In my room.” Rhett watched her face pale. He was so close to saying something evil but held back because of the child. For a second he struggled for something appropriate to say. It was harder to do than he thought. The idea made him frown. He really was a class act asshole. Rhett tickled Ann’s tummy and spoke his words to her instead.
“That way if you need a glass of water in the night I can get it. Or a cookie.”
“Mercy gived me a cookie. It was yummy.”
A bell sounded and Ann squealed in delight. She struggled from Rhett’s arms and took her mother by the hand.
“Mommy,” Ann twittered. “Food time. You don’t need to hunt it.”
Ann dragged Hope along while Rhett followed. When they entered the great hall where all food was served, Ann went immediately to the children’s table. Children of all ages sat together with their vampire standing nearby. A few of the mothers whose toddlers were getting used to the table sat close by their children’s sides. Before long, the young women would be sat back at the breeder table.
Ann was old enough that she didn’t need her mother to sit with her. The dilemma was, Hope was barren. Tavish wouldn’t waste his time with her. She wouldn’t be allowed at the breeder table even though she was young. There was a table for those women past childbearing years and older men who had almost outlived their usefulness. But if Rhett put Hope at that table he’d constantly be on guard for other vampires. After all, if such a beautiful young woman was deemed useless she’d be fair game. As much as he disliked the idea he wouldn’t allow Ann to lose her mother before her time.
“Go sit with Ann for now,” Rhett said to Hope.
When she didn’t move Rhett wondered if she had heard him. It got pretty noising during human feeding sessions. When Rhett repeated himself he made sure he was close to Hope’s ear. She was whiter than before. For a second Rhett just stood staring at her. Caine came over to join them.
“It must be overwhelming going from seeing no one to seeing so many people,” Caine said. He scowled hard at Rhett and led Hope to the children’s table. Rhett could hear Caine speak as they walked away. “Three meals are provided for humans each day. Rhett will be assigned a task for you to complete. All humans are expected to help out around the coven with various chores. Except with any hunting, it’s too dangerous for humans to go over the walls as I’m sure Rhett has explained.”
“Rhett hasn’t explained anything,” Hope whispered. Rhett knew she was right but the bitch didn’t have to be such a tattle-tale.
It was starting already, his anger. He’d get Hope alone and he would explain everything to her in minute detail.
Chapter 5
Hope wandered along a well-marked trail certain she was in a food coma. Hope had never seen so much food. Caine made her try everything until she thought she would burst. Strange, wonderful food that made her dormant taste buds come to life. Soft foods, hard foods. Sweet foods, bitter foods. Everything made her head spin. Little Ann downed more food than Hope had ever seen before. Her pint-sized child ate three pieces of something called pizza. The child sat and chatted with other children and adults. She looked like she had been born to the coven. And though she had obvious differences, no one blinked an eye. She was accepted.
Then there was the liquid. Not all humans at the table drank water, but it was available. They drank milk, or juices called apple or orange, or lemonade. There was a bloody-looking substance called tomato juice that looked hideous but smelled nice and tasted fine. Strangely enough, it was Ann who demanded she try it. Caine told Hope at dinner tonight he would let her try something called wine. He said if she would be dealing with Rhett she may need some alcohol.
“This is your job for the afternoon,” Caine said as they came to a row of small dwellings. Caine handed her a basket. “These are chicken coops. Chickens lay eggs. Eggs are small oval-shaped things. I’ll show you.”
A bunch of squawking birds called hens, she was told, moved about the penned area pecking and strutting. Hope thought they were silly awkward things. When Caine told her she had tasted chicken at lunch she was surprised.
Caine opened the coop and Hope scrunched her nose at the smell. They smelt almost as bad as she had when covered in crap. Caine reached under one of the birds nesting in a box and pulled out a small white egg and a larger brown egg. He put them in the basket and handed Hope the basket and bid her try. Reaching a tentative hand Hope reached under the squawking thing. It was warm and soft. She pulled out an egg and held it up, all smiles. It wasn’t as hard as it looked. She hadn’t been attacked. It was certainly an interesting object.
Caine grinned at her and told her to collect all of the eggs from all of the coops and take the baskets to the kitchen one at a time. He showed her where the kitchen was after they had dropped Ann off at a place where children went while mothers worked. Caine told her not to rush, take her time, Ann would be safe, smell the fresh air and get some exercise, become acquainted with the coven.
The time passed as Hope did her job. Her movements were a little stiff. Hope was used to the bulky furs she wore and winced a few times when she knocked a body part against the hard wood. She was self-conscious of her bruises. The women at the table tried to be discreet but Hope had seen them look at her multicolored areas of flesh. None of the women or children had bruises such as she. They all looked so incredibly healthy and happy.
Her mind strayed to Ann, wishing she were as healthy. Ann was smiling when she last saw her, her little hand in the boy Galf’s hand. It was clear to see the children adored each other after such a short time. Surprisingly, Ann made no fuss when Hope left. Rarely was Hope separated from her child.
Hope felt the fine hairs on the back of her neck rise again and knew someone was watching her. She thought perhaps i
t was Rhett just checking because he felt obligated. Each time she took a full basket of eggs to the kitchen she felt eyes on her. As she made ready to grab the last basket she was startled by a vampire she didn’t know. He was no less mesmerizing or handsome as Rhett. He too was dark-haired and blue-eyed. The vampire circled her like a vulture.
“I’ve been watching you,” the vampire said.
“I knew someone was.” She should have known Rhett couldn’t have cared less what she was up to.
“Why is it Rhett would rather play leap frog with your little one who is perfectly safe from any harm, than keep an eye on his beautiful female?”
Hope thought about it for a second. She could lie. If he knew about her being barren and Rhett not wanting her, he might drain her dry. But if she lied and he found out, he might be angry. One of Tavish’s laws was no lying.
“I don’t want to tell you; you would hurt me,” she muttered. Definitely not a lie.
The vampire tipped her head up using a finger on her chin. He wasn’t cruel. “It’s death to kill a breeder female.” His eyes glowed white and Hope knew she was lost.
“I’m barren. Rhett couldn’t care less what happens to me.”
“Too bad. You would have made lovely children.” His eyes stopped glowing and Hope was released from his hold. The vampire seemed to ponder her. “Rhett can be very cruel. But he does love children. Your daughter is well protected. You on the other hand…”
“Please,” Hope couldn’t keep the fear from her voice. “My daughter is dying; I have so little time left with her. Don’t take that from me, or from her.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I’m told losing a child is the hardest thing in life to deal with. If Rhett doesn’t care what happens to you, your life won’t be pleasant after your daughter is gone.”
Hope already knew that. She didn’t care what happened to her after Ann was gone; it was now she was worried about.
“If you are going to kill me after my daughter is gone you will have to wait in line. Rhett plans on being there first.” She couldn’t stop the hurt in her tone. She had done nothing to Rhett and he hated her.
The vampire grinned. “Perhaps he’ll give you to me. I’m in no hurry to share a female with breeder males; I did that my entire life until Tavish turned me. It was my gift for helping him and Mercy conceive Galf. I would like my own female. I’m the youngest of the turned grown males here but Rhett likes me. He has known me my entire life. He watched me grow up. He may not have pity for you, but he is fond of me.”
What the hell.
“Why does Rhett have only compassion for children and men?”
“You’ll have to ask him. When you see him, tell him Tate wants a word.” He winked at her.
And then he was gone. Hope finished collecting the eggs and left the basket in the kitchen. She wondered what they would do with all these weird looking things. To Hope’s chagrin she had tapped on one and broken it. The gunk inside didn’t smell palatable. It was sticky and oddly colored. One of the women in the kitchen told her the eggs would be used for breakfast and to make bread with for the evening dinner. She went on to explain a number of uses at which Hope was amazed. Who would have thought one little food item could be so versatile?
An older woman smiled kindly at Hope and told her when it was her turn to work the kitchen, she would learn to make all kinds of foods with the animals on the premises. Hope hadn’t had a friend since Dirk died. It would be nice to talk with other women. The life before her being on the run had been filled with silence and sadness until she and Ben had begun breaking laws. They had been so young, their world was so cold. Hope would cling to those fleeting moments of happiness. Ann had been her gift after such loss.
Hope had no idea what to do next. There were outer buildings near the chickens; Caine had told her to wander around and get used to the coven. Hope stuck her head in one of the structures Caine said was a barn. A multitude of freakish creatures gazed back at her; they all made strange sounds. Hope was praying none of her jobs involved these weird beasts. Never in her life had food tried to converse with her. It was creepy the way they called to her, it made her hair stand on end.
“I think that’s enough wandering,” she muttered.
She went looking for Ann. They had to let her spend time with her child. The area designated for children’s playtime was equipped with strange things for children to play on. There was a mixture of vampires, older women and teenagers all keeping watch and entertaining the young.
The sight almost brought Hope to her knees. These children were loved. They were held and cuddled. Hope had never seen so many youngsters. There were even more than when she had left Ann. In her ice community none of these children would be allowed to live. Children were against the law.
The play apparatus was amazing. Things called swings and teeter totters Caine had pointed out earlier. Slides of all sizes. Houses in trees. Ropes with cushy mats beneath, balance beams and a strange round thing children bounced up and down on. A small shallow pool up to Ann’s knees sparkled against the warm sun. Rhett, boots off and pants rolled up, had Ann by the hands and turned in circles in the water while her feet skimmed the surface. Ann squealed in delight. Hope had never seen her look so happy.
Dooder had been abandoned to the side of the water. Hope went to pick up the doll; it had been washed earlier before being given back to her. It was entirely made up of soft leather with down as a stuffing. It had tufts of worn hair made from Hope and Ann’s hair. A face was charcoaled on and stained throughout the years. Hope smiled when she fingered the new dress someone had given the doll; Ann must have been over the moon.
“Mommy come play,” Ann called.
Hope looked up to see Rhett glaring at her; then, for a brief second he looked guilty. Hope knew then he had forgotten all about her. She was on her own in this coven. It didn’t matter; Hope was used to having no one but Ann, and Ann couldn’t take care of her mother. It was all on Hope. Always had been.
Carefully Dooder was placed on the ground and Hope slipped small moccasins from her feet. The water wasn’t high enough to wet her flimsy garment. Many of the very young children were naked; some older ones like Ann wore small garments. The children flopped around the water like seals, laughing and playing. They looked content. Ann’s skin looked so pale in comparison to their various hues of tan.
The water was warmish, neither cold nor hot. It was refreshing and cooled the sweat from her skin. Hope had never spent so much time outside, and to be outside in warm sunshine was different. She had no furs to shed if she became too warm, which wasn’t often. The surface rippled as she slowly approached her child. Rhett had released Ann’s arms and she tried to run to her mother. She slipped and Hope winced, but was surprised when Rhett had her safely once more tucked into his arms.
“Remember, no running in the water,” Rhett said, his scolding was mild but firm.
“I’ll remember,” Ann said.
Hope held her hands out for her daughter. Rhett released the child reluctantly. His longing gaze settled onto Ann before his facial expression once more became stone cold. He gazed around for a moment, and Hope wondered if he would leave. Many of the other vampires were staring at Hope, including the one named Tate who was grinning openly at her. She felt her heart rate increase. As much as she hated the idea, Hope knew as long as Rhett was with her and Ann no one would touch them. Rhett seemed to come to some sort of decision, and he took Hope by the arm and led her from the water.
“I wanna swim,” Ann wailed in her ear.
“That’s what we’re going to do,” Rhett said.
“Dooder,” Ann squealed.
Hope snatched the doll from the ground. She playfully waved it at Ann. “Dooder,” Hope said. She pretended to hug Ann with it. Ann giggled and Rhett watched with a curious expression. The special secret belonged to Ann and Hope. Rhett could go to hell before Hope would allow him to be included in a bond of love.
Rhett led the pair farther away
from the others. Hope was feeling concerned, wondering if he planned on drowning her. The vampire was so unpredictable it played with Hope’s emotions—one moment wanting his protection, the next wondering if it was him she needed protecting from. When they reached a fair-sized body of water, Hope scanned the area; they were alone. Hope had seen large bodies of water, but they were filled with bulky chunks of ice. The surface of this water was smooth. Rhett stripped down to what he referred to as ‘boxers.’ He told Hope she could keep on the clothes she was wearing; he’d find her dry clothes when they finished. Rhett took the doll and tossed it on the bank.
Before Hope could protest, Rhett dragged Ann into his arms and was waist high in the water. He bounced the child up and down getting her used to going deeper, as the pool had been so shallow. Ann was in a giggle fit. Hope stepped into the water. It was cooler than the pool, but not unpleasant. The bottom was sand with a small amount of rocks. Rhett ignored her as he played with Ann.
As Hope got closer to the pair, Rhett moved deeper. He was taller and Hope floundered for a moment as the bank dipped and she was immersed to her neck. Ann had her little arms wrapped around Rhett’s neck.
“Take a step back,” Rhett ordered Hope. She complied.
Rhett disengaged Ann’s arms from around him and slid his hands under her belly, he told her to look at her mother. Ann, smiling, began paddling her hands. Rhett let the child go. Hope panicked and cried out and lunged forward. Hope went under as the water went over her head. This time she didn’t remain unmoving, her child might drown. Hope clawed at the water, kicking her feet. She reached for Ann and broke the surface. She held one of Ann’s legs, Rhett had the child in his arms, he was grinning at her.
“You just needed something to swim for, little seal,” he said.
Hope wanted him dead. She lunged at him. Rhett laughed and pulled her to his chest. He then pulled them deeper into the middle of the water. Hope had no choice but to cling to him, he moved so fast. For the next while, Rhett taught them both to tread water. He taught them something called a ‘dog paddle.’ The term was confusing; they were humans paddling. Hope had no idea what a dog was. He taught them the basics of how to stay afloat if they ever found themselves submerged.
Vampire Coven Book 3: A Vampire's Embrace Page 6
