Rhett was patient with them both. He seemed to have an unlimited amount of patience with Ann. He explained everything over and over until both Ann and Hope swam with some mild assistance back to the shore. Once there, Rhett gripped them both in his arms, grabbed Dooder, and took them to the shallow pool where he picked up Hope and Ann’s footwear and then to the main building. He strode through the hall until he came to a door. Hope knew it would be his room.
A towel was found for Ann who he wrapped up. Tenderly, he dried her off while Hope stood watching, dripping onto the floor. Rhett was so confusing. It was apparent he loved her daughter, why she had no clue. Ann was loveable, but a niggling in Hope’s chest made her wonder. Rhett was beyond good with Ann. He seemed to know how to talk to her to make her feel happy and safe.
After a casual glance in Hope’s direction, Rhett rifled through a drawer, scowled at the material he held and then handed it to Hope. A knock on the door sounded and soon Rhett held smaller clothes for Ann.
“Go through that door,” Rhett said and pointed. “There’s a room both of you can change in.”
Hope took Ann and closed the door behind her. Rhett yelled for her not to lock the door. Hope had no idea what a lock was. It became apparent Ann did. After Hope was dressed she couldn’t open the door. Rhett was behind it grumbling they weren’t supposed to lock it.
“Ann,” Hope said sternly. “Did you lock a door earlier today?”
“Yup.”
“Rhett told you not to.”
“But it clicks.”
“Can you un-click it for Mommy?”
“Yup.”
Ann reached out and played with a latch of some kind. Hope tried fiddling with it. Rhett was rattling the handle. She heard a heavy sigh.
“Never mind, just let go of the handle,” Rhett said.
Hope watched as the door handle turned, stopped then crunched. Rhett swung the door open. He was gazing down at Ann. Ann gave him a huge smile as he waved a stern finger at her. A bell rang.
“Food time,” Ann squealed and raced from the room.
Hope tried to dodge around Rhett, but he kept his arm across the door barring her escape.
“Ann,” Hope began.
“Ann is fine. She knows where to go and where to sit. I apparently have told you nothing.”
Hope wondered why he looked so angry. “Well, you haven’t.”
Rhett looked her over and smirked. Hope wondered what was so funny. She wore a one piece of some kind with weird fastenings at the bottom she had fiddled with. They were impossible so she left them open, other women had too. As long as she kept her legs crossed when she sat nothing should show. Besides, when the fastenings were opened the garment hung longer. It felt strange not to be covered from head to toe in furs but the weather was too warm; she would broil.
“Well, let me tell you one thing. That teddy you’re wearing is kept fastened unless you expect breeder men and vampires between your legs. It’s an open invitation. Unless of course it’s what you’re going for.”
Hope felt the blood rush to her face. She panicked. “I couldn’t do them up. I don’t know how the fastens work.”
Rhett smiled the smile she hated and slowly dropped to his knees before her. His huge hands slid up her thighs and Hope wanted to run. He lay his finger against her lower lips and she pulled back. He held her ass with one hand for a moment.
“The snaps hurt like a son of a bitch if tender skin gets caught between them. I’m making sure you don’t get hurt. I’m not in the mood for theatrics.”
Hope squirmed as he released her behind and leisurely did up each snap. She was positive he dawdled on purpose. Before each snap was clipped into place Hope felt a finger trail her outer skin.
“Stop,” she whimpered.
Rhett stood before her while she trembled. He studied her features. “You have a child, you’ve been touched before.”
“Not like that,” she whispered.
“Where you raped?” he asked. For a second, only a second he looked concerned.
“Ben and I married in secret. We said our own vows. We were young and thought we were in love. We broke a law.”
“By having sex?”
“Yes. We were caught and because I was younger, they blamed Ben. He was a hunter and valuable to the clan. But our leader said he was useless if he was going to go around screwing every female he got his hands on. I was less valuable but couldn’t make anyone pregnant.”
Hope swiped at tears that had begun falling. She never told Dirk about Ben. She didn’t know why she mentioned him now, but it felt like a relief to talk about him.
“You were with Ben only once?”
“Yes. The cavern was cold. We kept our furs on except for a brief moment. Ben went behind me and it hurt. There was blood. Ben had finished by the time another found us but there was blood everywhere. Ben hadn’t been very patient. But neither of us knew I would bleed. I couldn’t pass it off as my bleeding time; Ben had blood where he shouldn’t have on his furs. We were charged. After Ben died, no one talked to me. I was ignored, alone, blamed. I had no one. Then one morning, I started vomiting. A woman, not a friend, told me I was pregnant and would either be put to death or my baby would be killed the second it was born. She laughed harder, telling me our leader might use my belly as a punching bag. The idea made me sick.
“I ran. I ran and ran until I thought I would die. It was so cold. The food I stole ran out soon enough, no matter how hard I tried to eat only small amounts. I’d never been outside in my life. Snow fell from the sky; I never knew that. I taught myself how to find food, mostly scavenging dead kills with the other smaller animals. I got bigger and clumsy. It was luck to run into Dirk.”
“Dirk?”
“A very old and wise man who helped me deliver. He didn’t think humans should die out. That was why he was alone; he challenged human laws. For a year, he helped me with Ann. He was a good man. The only man I knew who was good. In the end, even Ben pleaded with the elders to kill me instead. He said I seduced him. I hadn’t. I only wanted a friend.”
Rhett stood silently for a moment. “It’s dinner time.”
“Where am I supposed to sit?” Hope had seen confusion on many faces the first time she went to Ann’s side.
“Until Ann is gone you will sit with her. If anyone says anything to you, tell them to take it up with me.”
Hope was surprised to say the least. Rhett looked angry, then confused, then stone-faced he walked out of his room leaving Hope to follow after.
Chapter 6
Rhett lay in his bed, hands laced behind his head. A cool breeze from the window ruffled his hair. In a corner, he listened to the even breathing of Hope and Ann curled together on a cot. Hope’s declaration of her first sexual experience bothered him. He didn’t know why, he hated that it bothered him, still it did. Hope had been betrayed. If Ben had been successful at turning the normally all-male councils, as most human males were successful, then Hope and Ann would be dead. Selfishness at its finest. Betrayal at its worst.
Rhett turned onto his side to face them. They looked so young and peaceful. Hope must have been so young when she gave birth. That pissed him off further; females weren’t bred until they turned twenty-one. Hope didn’t look much older than that now. Ann was in Hope’s arms. They must have slept often like that. Cecily had never slept with Acca. Rhett had curled up beside his daughter some nights when she was afraid, and her mother had sent her back to her own room. For the most part, the slaves and servants cared for Acca. Rhett knew in his heart Cecily blamed Acca for his death. She was a daily reminder of what had been lost.
His guess was Cecily didn’t allow Acca to sleep with her, not because she didn’t want the child close. Cecily suffered nightmares, often calling to Rhett until Rhett couldn’t take her anguish. One night, he had compelled her to forget. Rhett had simply gone away. He should have realized he would be responsible for his actions. Still, Cecily should have remained faithful.
N
o one ever visited Cecily, except the man she had run off with. He had come to treat an ailing horse. Cecily had been so alone when the man gave her the slightest attention, a crumb of recognition for which she had been grateful. His lonely beautiful wife was eager for attention. Rhett knew the fault lay with him. His pride surpassed his skill as a warrior. Those lions should have died.
Dooder fell to the floor as Ann stirred. The child woke, disoriented. She rubbed at her eyes. Rhett got up and retrieved the doll. He stared at it for a moment; there was something symbolic about the doll, he had seen the exchange between mother and child. As he handed the object to the child his eyes met Hope’s. Rhett tucked Ann in, pulling the blanket up over them both. He should have realized Hope would hear an ant crawl across the ceiling.
He could feel Hope’s eyes follow him as he climbed back into bed. She had the most innocent face. Hope, her expression was hope. Even here, dealing with him, she wouldn’t give in to despair. When Rhett turned to gaze back, Hope closed her eyes. Noises from outside the open window began to increase as darkness settled in for a rest. Ann loved the noise. She had claimed the ice was too quiet. Acca had loved sound too, any noise was music. Rhett fell asleep to a symphony of crickets.
In the morning, Ann jumped onto Rhett’s chest while he slept. A loud whoosh of air expelled from his lungs as he took a startled gasp and Ann giggled. Hope jumped up to retrieve her child; she looked terrified. Rhett tossed Ann into the air then caught her. He sat up and placed the wiggly child on the floor. The breakfast bell rang. Ann took off, leaving Rhett to chuckle.
“That child goes running for food when she hears the cow bells in the field,” he said, he rubbed at his eyes then noticed Hope was racing to the door, but Rhett was quicker. He slammed it shut and gripped Hope’s arms. “Ann knows where to go. We went through this last night. You can be sure she has found Galf and will be soon at the play center. You, on the other hand, need a shower and some clean clothes.”
“But I’ll have chores to do, and I want to be with Ann.”
“You will be with Ann. It’s Saturday.”
“What’s Saturday?”
“Ice dwellers,” Rhett said and raised his eyes to the ceiling. “It’s the weekend. The breeder females have only one job all week. To play with their breeder males. If they have children they can also spend time with them. If they don’t want their males to touch them for the next two days then the males won’t. On the weekend, today and tomorrow, the breeder males and females take over chores. Often their little ones help.”
“I have two days of doing nothing?” Hope asked. “No eggs, no learning, nothing?”
“Nothing. Except to play and eat—and shower.”
“I don’t know how to shower.”
“I’m going to teach you.”
“Does it involve being naked?”
Rhett laughed at her. “Oh yeah.” Hope turned red. “How many men have you seen naked?”
“You.”
“Did Ben even show you his cock before he plundered you?”
“For a second. No, not really.”
She reddened and Rhett realized she remembered the law of no lying. Rhett brought her hand to his bare chest. Hope tried to pull away but he clasped her wrist firmly. “I won’t bite you.”
“Biting, isn’t that what vampires do?”
Touché.
“I won’t bite you this very minute.”
“You don’t even like me.”
Rhett thought about that. “I don’t like women. Well, actually, I like women very much for some things. I don’t like women who betray people.”
“Men betray just as easily.”
“I’ve never been betrayed by a man,” Rhett said. The emperor didn’t exactly betray him; he remained true to his devious nature. Even then, he paid for it with his life. Rhett always had a good chuckle remembering the expression on the man’s face as he killed him.
“Well, I have. You don’t know me, or don’t want to know me. You’ve already condemned me for who you think I am.” Hope snatched her hand away and glared at him. “Besides you needn’t worry about me. A vampire named Tate wants you to talk to him.”
Rhett stiffened. “About?”
“Me, I guess. He was watching me collect eggs. Once my precious baby is gone, you can be rid of me. Unless it’s your heart’s desire to kill me. I really don’t care.”
Rhett began laughing. “Not two days and you’re already seeking greener pastures.”
“What do you want from me?” she yelled “You hate me.”
“I own you.”
“You don’t own me, or Ann. Ann is a gift you may be kind to for however long she lives. As for me, once she’s gone, I don’t want to live. I want nothing and need nothing from you after she is gone.”
Tousle-haired and disgruntled, Hope stormed out of the room.
* * * *
“Your little female looks well-bedded.”
“Huh?”
Rhett looked at Tavish. He then cast his glance back to Hope. Rhett had been watching her while she helped Ann and the child to her right with their breakfast. The little one to her right was recently separated from his mother at meal time. His mother had been returned to the breeder table where she would get to know two different breeder males. The boy was four and normally females were bred again when a child turned two but his mother had given birth to fraternal twins. One was stillborn, only the boy survived. A coven loss, especially since the baby had been female. Tavish’s law dictated any female having twins was given four years to rest, even if neither baby survived.
“Hope. You could have given her time to at least brush her hair,” Tavish said.
“I haven’t had sex with her. That’s her imitation of a dash—and before you ask me, no I didn’t dine either.”
Tavish gazed at him. “Must have been some feeding frenzy on ice dwellers, because you haven’t terrorized any of the women here lately.”
“I’ve been preoccupied.”
“So I noticed.” Tavish placed a hand onto Rhett’s shoulder. “You’re already attached to the little one. What you do with her mother after the child is gone is up to you. But if you don’t want her, ask around before you dump her back in her glacier, or drain her. She’s young, beautiful, and when her child is gone she deserves strong arms to hold her.”
“I’ve heard Tate is looking for me.”
“Tate is young. He spent years as a breeder male. He’s not interested in children right now. He wants a female he never has to share. A barren female would be perfect for him. No strings, no new ties once she has children he must protect. Think about it. I know one angst with Tanya, besides the obvious, is you were ready for her to have children, which she didn’t—a good thing. Now the child you have won’t be here much longer. It would be cruel to turn a child, so don’t even ask.”
“Caine keeps a close eye on Ann.”
“Caine is more concerned with her mother.”
Rhett grew angry. “I haven’t hurt her mother.”
“Her mother isn’t Tanya. Were you so smitten with Tanya that you won’t trust again?”
“Tanya was a little whore.”
“Is Hope?”
Rhett scowled, knowing she wasn’t. “You know this runs deeper than Tanya and one single woman.”
“You keep acting the bad boy type when there is a heart that beats in your chest every so often and you will continue to be disappointed. You look for deception and so you find it. Look for happiness. You don’t need to fall in love. Why not try falling in like? This female might surprise you.”
“She hates me.”
“Maybe she has reason to.”
Tavish went to Mercy who followed Hope, Galf and Ann outside. Rhett saw Tate approaching and took off before he could be confronted. He was pissed. The child wasn’t even dead and already the vampires were lining up for her mother. Hope was Rhett’s until he said otherwise. Rhett knew a barren woman normally tried hard to please her vampire. She was use
less except for her blood, and what sexual ways she could come up with to keep her vampire happy. Hope wasn’t like that; she hadn’t been born to the coven and didn’t give a rat’s ass about life.
Rhett watched Ann and Hope sit at a table to color in the children’s play area. Ann turned the crayon in her hand gazing at it wide-eyed. She drew a line and squealed when the crayon left a mark. Hope hugged her daughter and encouraged her to draw more. Rhett knew the child had never colored before. It must seem like magic. Every new thing they could expose her to would be good for her. Caine was suddenly standing beside him.
“Ann looks healthier today,” Rhett said. “You should see her eat.”
“She’s distracted, but I know you can hear the wheeze in her lungs.”
Hope handed Ann a glass of water. Rhett knew it was her third. Acca had been so thirsty near the end. But Ann looked so much better.
“Maybe because I found her and brought her here she will be fine longer. Maybe she’ll be okay.” Rhett’s tone sounded desperate even to him.
Caine gave him a sad look before he strolled over to Hope and knelt down beside Ann.
“How are you today, Ann?” Caine asked.
“Good.”
“She’s a little warm,” Hope said, her tone quiet.
Caine placed his hand to the child’s forehead. “Low-grade fever. Maybe Rhett will take you both to the lake for a little while. It’s always cooler there. Or I have some free time.”
“I’ll take them,” Rhett said.
Ann refused to part with her crayons and picture. “Can Dooder go swimmin’?” Ann asked.
“Dooder can watch,” Rhett replied.
Rhett gathered Ann and Hope close to his chest and took to the sky. He felt Hope tremble, but she didn’t say a word. Her warm face pressed to his shirt as did Ann’s. The child was warm and Rhett felt concern. Hope’s heart pounding was the only indication she was scared.
Vampire Coven Book 3: A Vampire's Embrace Page 7