“Aye. Bran was working for MacDonald, but I don’t fault Robert for his death. The man was only doing his duty. Bran died fighting to free me from Devlin’s dungeon. MacDonald fought as well. He will be paying reparation to the family but I intend to add to that sum.” Jeremiah was very grim.
“Dungeon! You were caught, Jeremiah? The vampire must be powerful indeed. Did you manage to kill him?” Brian had yet to let go of his sword.
“Jeremiah pursued him and almost died trying to end Devlin. He did manage to wound him grievously.” I didn’t want Brian to think less of his brother for not succeeding.
Jeremiah smiled at me. “He was a wily bastard and got away, more’s the pity. Best warn the guards. He may come here, seeking revenge. We will have to be alert. He will be easy to recognize—a vampire with a patch over one eye. I tore his right one out of the socket.”
“That’s something. But it enraged him, I’m sure.” Brian looked me over. “So Gloriana was the prize in this battle. Interesting.”
“I didn’t know him. He had no cause to single me out.” I hated that Jeremiah had shared this story though I knew it was necessary. The Campbells had to be watchful in case Devlin mounted an attack. But I didn’t want to be put in the center of it.
“Some men need no more cause than lust for a pretty woman, Gloriana.” Brian inhaled then smiled. “But I think there may have been something more he wanted.” He shook his head. “No matter. Only a fool would blame you for a greedy vampire’s foul deeds. Or someone set against you.”
We rode on up the steep hill to where “lads” as Jeremiah called them took our horses. Two formidable vampires stood in the arched stone doorway to the castle.
Jeremiah helped me dismount then tugged me toward them. “Ma, Da, this is Madam Gloriana St. Clair, my lady friend from London. It will please me if you will welcome her.” Jeremiah smiled at me. “Gloriana, my parents, Laird and Lady Campbell.”
I bent low in a curtsy. I could feel their eyes on me. My heart fluttered, my stomach pitched and I tried to keep my mind carefully blank. When I lifted my gaze it was clear that the laird was a carbon copy of his handsome sons and ready to accept whoever Jeremiah brought home. Lady Campbell? Her eyes were dark, hard and unforgiving.
“Welcome, my dear.” The laird was first to speak. He reached out to clasp Jeremiah to his chest. “Son, it is good to see you. We wondered if we’d lost you forever to the delights of King Jamie’s court.”
“No danger of that. Bowing and scraping grows tiresome, even if it is seen as an honor.” Jeremiah frowned at his mother. “Ma?”
“Jeremiah.” She didn’t smile. “I am glad my daughters aren’t here to see you bring your doxy into our home.” Magdalena Campbell did not mince words. She barely reached her son’s shoulder but she didn’t hesitate to slap him on his arm. Her dark eyes and hair matched Jeremiah’s but her mouth looked as if she had never smiled. Indeed, it was firmed in disapproval.
“Ma, I’ll thank you to treat my guest with respect.” Jeremiah glared at her.
“Are you treating our home with respect by bringing her here? Do I see a ring on her finger? I thank God I do not, come to that.” She swept me with a look, as a vampire she read my mind with a sniff. “I have my friends in London. Word had already reached me that you found this one in a gutter outside a theater. Clearly, son, you are easily led by your cock.”
I stood speechless. What could I say when the lady spoke the truth? Details. Jeremiah hadn’t found me in the gutter, but in an alley. And I’d been desperate enough to go with the first man who had offered for me.
“Shall I leave then?” Jeremiah held my hand. “If Gloriana is not welcome here, then neither am I.”
“Enough! Woman, mind your tongue!” Laird Campbell roared and stomped his foot. A large pin of hammered silver glittered on the shoulder of his plaid as he whispered harsh words to Mag, as he called her. Then he spoke so all of us could hear, including Brian, who stood by Jeremiah’s side. “Our son and heir may live his life as he chooses. This is his home. He can bring any friend here and we will welcome her with open arms.” Angus Campbell was a sturdy man who had managed to produce sons both taller and more handsome than he was.
Jeremiah had explained to me that members of the family started life as mortals, had children, then could choose a time to be turned vampire, if they wished. I still didn’t know all the details. So far every Campbell I’d met was obviously a vampire, fangs and all. But then there were mortal children running about in the village down in the glen. Had Jeremiah sired some before he’d been turned? Taken a wife? I had never asked and he certainly had never mentioned such a thing. I decided to leave the subject alone. With my own past a puzzle, I didn’t feel I had the right to pry into his.
While I wanted to sink into the stone floor, Jeremiah clapped his father on the shoulder.
“Thank you, Da. I would never bring anyone into our home who would cause you harm or who would disrespect you, Ma. Gloriana is a fine woman and I love her. Accept her for my sake.” Jeremiah stared at his mother for a long moment. “Marriage is not important to either one of us. It’s not as if there will be children. So let this go. To please me.”
“You know I will do almost anything to please you, my son.” Magdalena swept me with the same look she would give spoiled milk. “This time you ask a lot. It is Yuletide and we still celebrate it despite the frowns from the church. The laird has made it clear to the vicar that he had best look the other way in this matter so I plan to make merry in the old ways. We will be bringing the children up to the castle from the village. If I have to introduce them to your…” She shook her head. “What shall I call her?”
“Call her my friend, Ma. She has been that and more, of course, and she loves me. That should please you, I would think. You know I have been lonely for a long while.” Jeremiah turned to me and pulled me closer. “Come, Gloriana. I want to take you up to the tower to show you the view of the valley from there. It is a room we all enjoy. I am very proud of our home. Pray excuse us.” He pulled me along with him, obviously eager to get away from his parents.
“Slow down, if you please.” I was gasping by the time we got to the stone stairs that seemed to go up forever. “My legs are not as long as yours.”
“Then I’ll carry you.” He swung me up into his arms and kissed me. “I’m sorry about that. My mother can be difficult, there’s no denying it. She had her eye on a girl for me from a neighboring family. Not that I care about that. There was never a chance I would settle down to please her.”
“Ah, that explains a lot. What was wrong with this girl?” I couldn’t believe he had healed so well that he was taking the steep stairs two at a time with me as a burden.
“She wasn’t you.” He stopped on a landing where there was a slit cut into the stone.
“Jeremiah.” I touched his face. Had anyone ever said anything so lovely to me? “Thank you. I truly don’t wish to cause trouble for you here.”
“You won’t. You make me happy. I want to show you everything. Now look out there. That is all Campbell land. Beautiful, isn’t it? Even covered with snow. But when it is green in the spring? Magnificent.” He took my hand and pulled off my glove, kissing each finger as he gazed out through a slit in the stones. His pride was evident. “I’m sorry you will never see it during the day. Before I was turned, I could sit in the sun for hours. Some things you never stop missing, lass.”
I didn’t want to look anywhere but at him, this man who had saved me and made me feel treasured. I still couldn’t believe my good fortune. I pulled off my other glove and stuffed both into my bodice. Then I laid both hands on his face and pressed my lips to his.
“I love you, Jeremiah Campbell. Never forget it.”
“I’m surprised my mother hasn’t made you want to run back to London with her sour face and ugly words. You are surely made of strong stuff, my lady. Now look. God forbid the unthinkable happens, but if it does, I will be laird here someday.” He laughed and sw
ung me around so I could see out the window. It was beautiful. I could see the village we’d passed coming up to the castle. Smoke drifted up from the fires inside the houses. A stream of clear water tumbled over rocks next to the path we’d taken to the castle. A horseman, his eyes watchful, had stopped to let his steed drink. This scene looked peaceful but we were safe because the Campbells never took that safety for granted.
“You, the laird?” I tugged at his ear. “In a family of immortal vampires, I doubt you will ever inherit. But, yes, it is a pretty scene. The village is called Dollar?” I shivered slightly in his arms as an icy wind blew inside. It made me wonder again why cold bothered me and didn’t affect the other vampires.
“Yes. Our servants live there and tradesmen who have skills we need. Some are shifters, but there are mortals as well. The kirk is the tallest building, the cemetery beside it. It’s too bad the new church frowns on the Christmas festivities we’ve always loved. They call Yuletide a ‘Popish festival.’ Ma is right to insist on continuing the old ways. We’ll have a Yule log and greenery decorating the Great Hall. Do you know about mistletoe, my girl?” He grinned down at me, looking very young and handsome.
I reached up and ran my fingers through his dark hair. Oh, how I loved him like this, happy and carefree. “No, what is it? Mistle toe? I knew an actor from Germany who insisted we all put out our shoes for St. Nicholas to bring us gifts for Christmas.”
Jeremiah grinned down at me. “And did it work? Did your shoe get filled?”
“With a few pennies and an orange.” I sighed remembering that I had been sleeping in a dark corner behind the stage when Master Shakespeare himself had slipped those things into my worn slipper. I’d been so hungry. Nothing had ever tasted as sweet as that orange. The master had been kind to me, never admitting he had been my benefactor.
“A Christmas miracle!” Jeremiah kissed me. “But here you may keep on your shoes. Mistletoe is a plant that is said to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits. But the best part is that if you catch a girl standing under it, you are obliged to kiss her.” He ran up the steps to the top of the tower. There was a spacious room where a fire blazed in a large hearth and greenery decorated the mantle. “Look here, Gloriana. Someone has been busy.” He pointed to the doorway where a sprig of foliage with berries sat on a sill above it.
“Is that it? Will you have to kiss me now?” I grabbed his ears. “You have no choice in the matter.”
“First I must pluck a berry. That’s the forfeit. Once all the berries are gone, no more kisses.” He reached up and twisted off one and handed it to me.
“No more kisses? Now that would be a shame.” I pulled his mouth down to mine. If I could freeze time, this would be a moment I would keep forever. A fur rug held pride of place in front of the fire. I could see us making love there. But with a large family downstairs, I didn’t dare hope we could steal away to make such a fantasy come true.
“I love the way your mind works.” Jeremiah set me on my feet then closed and locked the chamber door. “My mother is already convinced I am ruled by my cock. By God, let’s prove her right.”
I flung off my cloak then went to work on the buttons down the front of my dress, casting aside my gloves. Why not? I had been labeled a whore without a chance to defend myself. I could remember being with only two men in my life—Jeremiah and my husband. Did that make me a whore? No. But I was a lusty woman with a man I adored. Even better? He was a masterful lover. No wonder I was willing to follow him anywhere. Even to his home where I was not welcome. To hell with Mag Campbell. Jeremiah wanted me and that was all that mattered at the moment.
“Come here, Gloriana.” He had shed his coat and shirt but hadn’t bothered with those cumbersome boots and breeches. His beautiful chest had healed and I couldn’t wait to touch it. He sat in front of the fire and stretched out his arms.
“It has been a while. MacDonald was always underfoot, making a nuisance of himself.” I dropped my dress and petticoats and wore only my chemise. It was sheer, the kind he loved to see on me. I walked slowly toward him, kicking off my slippers just before stepping onto that soft fur.
He slid the straps down my shoulders until he could see my breasts. “Ah, my beauties.” He kissed the slopes then licked a path around my nipples. “You like this.” He pulled one into his mouth and drew on it.
“Yes. Very much. You always know how to please me.” I held his head against me as he ran his hands over my body. I was under him in a moment, feeling his strength as he stroked all the places he knew made me wild. It didn’t take long for my chemise to be cast aside. We soon rolled so I was on top of him.
“Let me see if this is as good as I remember.” He pulled me up so he could taste my womanhood. He knew how that always made me lose my mind quickly. I leaned forward and grabbed handfuls of fur rug as his clever mouth teased me toward such bliss that I didn’t think I could bear it. Gods, but he was magic. I held back my screams, sure they would hear me down in the village through the open windows framed by velvet draperies. Waves of pleasure finally made me beg Jeremiah to stop so I could please him as well.
“Are you sure you aren’t a demon? A wizard, perhaps? It’s magic, the way you make me lose my senses when you touch me.” I opened his breeches and reached for him. He pulsed with vitality. No matter how often he was hurt, how much blood he lost, he always recovered with even more vigor. I was enchanted by him. I trailed kisses over that masculine part that always pleased me. Then I tasted him.
“No.” He lifted me, guiding me over him so he could slip inside. When he had filled me, he groaned and held me still above him, his hands firm on my bottom.
“This is what I needed. Do you feel it, Gloriana? How perfectly we fit?”
“Yes.” I stared down at him. As usual his mind was closed to me, but I realized he no longer looked happy. “What’s wrong, love?” I kissed his forehead. “Jeremiah? Are you regretting bringing me here? Your mother—”
“No! Of course not.” He pulled me down to kiss me. “I meant what I said to her. I would leave here if she refused to welcome you.”
“I don’t deserve—”
“What you don’t deserve is to be taken by a fucking bastard of a vampire.” He surged deeper, his hands gripping me tightly as he held my hips.
“That couldn’t be helped. Surely you aren’t blaming yourself.” But he was. I couldn’t read his mind, but I could see it in his face. Guilt. Oh, no. Why did he feel so responsible for everything? “Jeremiah!”
“The idea that he had you, might have been hurting you, drove me mad while I was in that dungeon.” He pushed into me again. “I failed to protect you.”
“Darling.” What could I say to ease his pain?
“I tried over and over again to shift. To find a way out of that cell.” He froze, his eyes closed as he remembered. “I became so small and weak I feared I might not be able to become man again. Did you know that?” His eyes opened. “Of course not. How could you? Thank God for—”
I kissed him quiet. I had tried not to imagine how he’d felt locked up and helpless. Of course it had been maddening. For a warrior like Jeremiah Campbell, being imprisoned without his weapons had been a living hell. There was no point in reliving this, though what he saw as his failure haunted him. To my relief, he couldn’t resist me as I rubbed my breasts against him and started to move. I was determined to help him forget. We came together again and again, desperate, driven.
I cried out when the pleasure rose so strongly it became too much for me. Jeremiah shuddered and pulled me close then buried his face in my hair. He trembled, as if overwhelmed by his feelings as his seed flowed into me. Seed? Not the kind which could bear fruit. But it was part of him, his essence perhaps.
I rubbed the back of his head, comforting him as I would a child who had been hurt. God, but I loved him. I’d given up life and the possibility of my own children to be with him. No regrets. That would be useless. Live in the moment. And for now, that moment was golden.
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8
Music drifting in from the open window made us sit up and decide it was time to move. I pulled on Jeremiah’s coat and walked over to look out. A huge fire blazed in an open meadow and people were gathered around it, with more coming from the village. I recognized the drums but there was a strange instrument playing the lively tune.
“What is that they are playing, Jeremiah?” I stayed where I was when his arms slipped around me.
“Bagpipes, lass. Ma really did plan to make merry at Yuletide.” He pulled me tight against him. “Why, I believe it’s the winter solstice. The vicar is no doubt locked in his house because this is a pagan celebration.”
“The winter solstice?” I had never heard of it.
“The longest night of the year. A cause of celebration for vampires.” He turned me for a quick kiss. “Get dressed. I want to dance with you.”
Since I did love to dance, I hurried into my clothes. Of course I had no idea what manner of prancing a Scot would do, so it was likely I would make a fool of myself. I asked a number of questions as we rushed down the stairs.
“You will be fine. Country dances. Not unlike some of the romps in the king’s court. Then the men will dance to show off their skills with a sword.” He stopped and collected his where he had left it near the front door. His mother had demanded all the men leave their weapons when they entered the house. I had been surprised when he obeyed without a word.
“You dance with a sword?” I watched while he strapped on his heavy broadsword, the one he wore on his back. It weighed so much I could barely lift it. Or at least that had been before I’d been turned vampire. Now, I might be able to swing it with my new vampire strength. I hadn’t tried and hoped I would never need to test it. “That one?”
“Aye. When I was a wee lad, I practiced with a wooden one. Wouldn’t do to cut off a toe during a dance. Da would be disgraced.” He laughed, all the shadows gone from his eyes.
Real Vampires: A Highland Christmas (The Real Vampires series Book 14) Page 8