A Vampire To Watch Over Me [Vampire Coven Book II] Read online

  “I was so worried about you,” Nanya said. Her hand lifted to caress the side of his face.

  “I will always find you, I swear it,” Laken said and smiled. It was something he told her often, a warrior’s vow of honor. Honor was everything, so was she; Laken would always find her now—he had cheated death. He was unstoppable. Nanya would have the best mate in the entire tribe. Laken’s children would have the best sire, he would be a great provider and many children would adorn his hearth. Little ones brought such pleasure and pride to a man’s home and he wanted an entire handful of strong sons and beautiful daughters.

  “You are covered in blood,” Nanya chided, but she grinned. “I knew you would get the white bear. I had been so frightened, but you promised. I am lucky you want me.”

  Lucky? Laken was the lucky one. No one could be so lucky—she was everything to him and more. She looked so tiny next to him. Small and fragile. She was a woman who needed a powerful warrior to take care of her. Her mother had been frail, like Nanya, but Laken didn’t care. He was a man who could protect his woman. Nanya would be safe with him—he would care for her and she would live a long, long life.

  “I am so hungry,” Laken muttered. The backs of his fingers caressed her cheek.

  “I have made you your favorite food, my strong, fearless hunter.” Of course she had, she always wanted to please him. “Only the best and sweetest berries are for you, my love. Your furs are cleaned. I have chilled your desired drink in the river. I will make you a good mate, you will see.”

  Laken already did see—he saw so much more. Nanya moved into his arms. The top of her head pressed onto his chest under his shoulders. She was so tiny—so perfect. So beautiful. Her black hair became more prominent, as did her white skin. The foliage around them became black and white. Laken’s breath increased, he could smell her sweet scent. He wanted to taste her luscious skin. Laken leaned down and kissed Nanya’s cheeks. His lips trailed a path to her chin and throat, her beautiful white throat that pulsed for him. Her veins held a substance that drew Laken closer, closer like a river of flowing sweet nectar, the sound of the rushing calling to him.

  Nanya groaned and tried to pull back as Laken’s fangs settled into her throat, piercing her skin with tenderness. She couldn’t escape his grasp—she must know better. He did this for her, he wanted her, needed her. She belonged to him; he loved her more than life. Laken had begged another for her life; only for her would he ever beg.

  “Look, Nanya,” Laken heard the words in his mind as he spoke them into her thoughts. He showed her the dark-haired baby boy he envisioned them having. A handsome son with his sire’s blue eyes and a sweet grin on his face and two precious bottom teeth showing in his happiness. The white bear rug was in their hut, cushioning his small son’s hands and feet as he crawled to them. Nanya was smiling and laughing up into Laken’s face in the image he created for them. A roaring fire burned to keep his Nanya and the babe, his babe, warm. Her belly was huge with another child already—they would be so happy. Laken’s heart nearly burst with the love he could feel.

  Nanya welcomed the vision—he felt it. She relaxed in his arms wanting more, pleading for more. In the vision Nanya, was strong and healthy; Laken was her protector, her lover, her mate. Laken promised he would care for her forever. They would have many children; he would take care of them all. Their cave would fill further with his prowess in hunting. He would teach his strong sons to be brave, to be honorable warriors. Laken would protect his daughters until only the best and most powerful suitors could be chosen. They would have so much love, his family.

  The slight grip of Nanya’s gentle hands slipped from Laken’s shoulders. It didn’t matter, he held her close. She wasn’t strong—he would be for them both. His little one tired easily, his love, his life.

  Warm delicious wetness slid down Laken’s throat. What was it? He wondered. It was so sweet, so wonderful. Nanya was giving him what he needed as she always did. The flavor was unlike anything he had ever tasted. His little flower was so pure. He needed to take her back to the tribe; it was growing steadily darker, the sun was almost down, Nanya might get chilled. He wanted to mate her now, with his new power he didn’t need Tavish’s bear; he would get another—and another. Laken was loath to release her, wanting to share more. He forced the images at her when she became lethargic. Nanya needed to see how breathtaking their lives would be, Laken would make certain of it.

  Moments passed and Laken could no longer force the images at Nanya. Her mind was blank. It made no sense, the emptiness. Nanya was frail but had sharp wit. Reluctantly Laken withdrew his mouth from her sweet throat, he felt sated. There was no more angry protest in his being. With some dismay Laken scooped Nanya up when her knees buckled, her body was limp.

  “Nanya?” Nanya didn’t respond. Laken took her closer to the stream, knelt with her and dribbled water over her face. “Silly little Nanya, wake up. It is time to begin our lives together. To do what I showed you. Nanya? Why will you not open your eyes for me? Your fierce hunter wishes to gaze into your beautiful dark eyes.”

  “She cannot wake up.”

  Laken looked over at Tavish who was standing on the bank. He then looked back at Nanya who lay so peaceful in her weary slumber. Laken was confused. Of course she would wake; he couldn’t mate her whilst she slept.

  “She must wake—she made my favorite dinner. We will sit together after she serves me, we always sit together to eat. I will tell her how much I love the way she cooks—but she already knows. You do know, Nanya?”

  Tavish moved closer and Laken heard him sigh. “You have killed her, Laken. I warned you to stay away. I warned you to disobey would cause consequences. Your little Nanya is a consequence.”

  Laken was horrified. “You killed my Nanya because I did not stay away?” Tavish must have—the alternative was too much.

  “You are now one of the world’s biggest predators, Laken. You must obey or more will die. If you kill too many we will not survive.”

  “What have you done to me?” Tavish was close enough for Laken to see the whites of his glowing eyes reflected back at him in Tavish’s blue eyes. Two bloody fangs, sharp as spear points hung almost past his bottom lip with his mouth open in his shock. He looked like a monster.

  Nanya had no sound in her chest. Laken listened for the thumping but it would not come. He could no longer hear her breath. Where was her sound? Pitch blackness of night had draped a death blanket over them and yet Laken saw everything. Tiny hands lay on the banks, lifeless at her sides. Glistening droplets of moisture rolled from Nanya’s pale face. Why was she so pale? Where was the berry color her cheeks had just had? Puncture marks on her neck blazed on her translucent flesh. There was blood where Laken had sucked. Had he done that? He had, those spear sharpened teeth had done this; he was a monster.

  Oh no, oh no, oh no.

  “I have made you my brother, Laken. My brother, I am sorry for your loss. You can blame her death on me if you choose—if it is easier. I am, in a way, responsible. I should have left Ursus with you. Right now, I am all you have. Will you listen now?”

  Laken could barely see through the tears coursing down his cheeks at this revelation. Nanya’s death was his own fault. He didn’t listen, he had been warned. Her hair lay over his waist and hips. Laken had done this. His life, his love was gone and he was responsible. There would be no young ones at his hearth. He could never face his tribe in his shame. He had killed a female who could never protect herself. Laken felt vile with self-loathing. The tribe would cast him out. He would cast himself out—he was not worthy of a family. Laken was alone—except for Tavish. It was better to have someone than no one.

  “I will listen, Tavish,” Laken said and wept. “Nanya, I am so sorry. I will find you, someday. I swear it.”

  I swear it. I swear it.

  Chapter 1

  “Oh fuck off.”

  “Honor. You know you are not allowed to say that word.”

  “Fine then. Go to hell y
ou piss worm, cock-sucking, shit-brained ass of a damned dumb loser.”

  “Honor!”

  “Well—I didn’t say fuck, did I?”

  “My mother will be furious when I tell on you; she’ll tell my father. Talek will beat you.”

  “If Talek touches me,” Honor said through gnashed teeth, “I’ll kick his nuts so hard and high he’ll be able to suck his own cock.”

  “You need to show more respect for your elders, girl.”

  Honor hated being called girl. It was as though it was a disease. So she didn’t have a dick, so what? She was smarter than any boy in their ice dwelling and she was faster too. No one knew the tunnels in their ice dwelling better than she. Since she was forbidden to go outside, Honor had spent many of her twenty-two years traipsing through the iceberg she and her ancestors called home for the last two hundred and fifty years.

  A sly smile lit Honor’s face as her lips curled at each side—she hoped she looked as sinister as she was feeling. It was working, because as she moved forward, her ‘cousin,’ Peter, moved back. Peter may have been taller than her five-foot-five frame and the fat ass outweighed her by, she guessed, at least a hundred pounds. But when Honor wanted to, she could be as evil as sin. Why shouldn’t she? Destined to live a life without love, or touching. She was already being punished for being a girl. Why not let the punishment fit the crime?

  “Peter, Peter, ice piss eater,” she taunted.

  “You’ll be sorry.”

  Peter was five years younger than Honor. He and his twin sister were the last of their ice dwellers to be born. Peter was allowed to live—spared, really, as he was an accident. Peter was a boy and could be taught to hunt. Though Honor had her suspicions, Peter was allowed to live to make certain Honor obeyed after his father died, groomed to be Honor’s jailer. Peter’s sister hadn’t been as lucky. The girl babe would have had to spend her entire life inside the ice cap; she was a liability and considered nothing more than a lifelong burden. Two wailing babies was also twice the danger to the clan.

  Talek had yanked the naked, seconds old, film-covered babe from her mother’s arms and taken her out to expose her to the frozen land. His first act of new leadership after Honor’s father had died. Talek thought it would prove how strong he was—how committed to his cause of saving the world’s humanity, by letting the human race die out. Honor had never hated anyone more in her entire life than she did that day. All Talek had shown was that he was a follower in the most heinous, twisted way. Honor made it her mission to defy him.

  All females were forbidden to leave the ice labyrinth—it was law. Vampires ruled the world. They had since the ice age hit in the tail end of the twenty-first century. Humans had made a pact in the last twenty years or so—all breeding was forbidden. A runner had found his way to many inhabited icebergs to relay the news throughout the years. It was a death sentence to females. Already trapped within the walls, this was a new tragedy.

  Leaders insisted it was for the good of them all. All sex was outlawed. There was to be no touching, no physical contact to go along with the already strict rules of survival. Men were the martyrs of the world. When humans died, the vampires would die. It had made Honor not so honorable. With both her parents dead, she listened to no one—not even Talek the almighty. The almighty idiot.

  “Go ahead, tell,” Honor wheedled. “Do what you want. It means I’ll do what I want to.”

  “What will you do?” Peter whispered, wide-eyed.

  “I’ll piss in the stew—or in your bed.”

  “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “Dumb ass. You realize who you’re talking to?”

  “I won’t tell.”

  “That’s a good little boy.”

  “One day, Honor, you’ll be sorry. I’ll be a man soon and I won’t let you get away with what you do. Father has been teaching me lessons on the importance of our vows to purge the Earth.”

  “Mmm, then teach me a lesson.”

  Before Peter knew what was happening Honor moved forward onto her tip toes and ground her lips onto his. Peter pushed her hard, but she clung tight to his furs. When Honor’s tongue invaded his mouth she knew she had him. Peter stopped fighting and pulled her closer. His fur pants rubbed against the front of Honor in a grinding fashion. Funny sounds emanated from the back of his throat. Peter’s fists sank into her furs around her, crushing her shoulders and his wet sloppy lips seemed as though he couldn’t get enough of her. When she broke the kiss he looked awestruck. He was panting in huge gasps of air fighting to breathe.

  If you could only see the look on your face, you pathetic boy.

  “Oh dear—did we commit a treasonous act? Hmm, I believe we did. No sex, remember. Your father’s rules, Peter, not mine. Oh don’t worry, we aren’t really related. Your father just says we’re cousins because family can’t breed together and this situation makes it easier to obey the laws. Just remember, your father got a chance to use his cock. You never will. Your own father emasculated his son. You have so much to think about, for, perhaps, the next sixty or seventy years, while we rot in here, together, perhaps all alone one day. While your cock withers away.”

  Honor chuckled as she strode off. She had no family left and she had no doubt, one day, Peter would be stronger. Because of a promise made to her father Talek couldn’t lay a hand on her. Peter had made no promise. It would be better for her if she controlled him now. And after that kiss she knew just how to do it.

  The long freezing tunnel they had been in opened into a large cold room. The ceiling was at least twenty feet high; over the years, the ice walls had worn to create a bigger living area. Honor went to sit on her mound of furs. There were ten others in the room; she was ignored for the most part. Nora, a pretty woman also of childbearing years, offered a quick fleeting smile then looked guiltily about as though she had broken a rule. Meg, older but also considered of childbearing years because she still bled, frowned at Nora. No one else spared Honor a glance. Peter wandered into the main room soon after her. He was still red and looked miserable. Peter’s mother frowned at her son then finally acknowledged Honor.

  “I think the two of you are too old to be playing hide and seek,” Peter’s mother admonished.

  “We weren’t playing,” Peter said and glared at his mother.

  “Then what were you doing?”

  Honor and Peter stiffened as Talek came into the room followed by seven other men. The men were covered in blood, their backpacks loaded and bulging, furs were draped over shoulders. Their hunt was a success. Talek nodded at his wife, giving her quiet recognition. He grinned at his son who had gone beet red with embarrassment and glanced at Honor.

  “Have you been regaling my son with more of your colorful words?” Talek asked Honor.

  You mean something like: Oh how I’d love to shit in your meat? “Of course not,” she answered innocently.

  “If you’re going to lie to me, at least make it more convincing,” Talek said.

  Honor’s fists clenched. A profanity on the tip of her tongue ached to be released, but she knew Dylan, Talek’s right hand man, would slap her silly. She wisely kept quiet. Dylan stood glaring at her—daring her. He was a handsome man of thirty-two. Honor thought if he got laid he might not be as grouchy.

  Honor knew what sex was, sort of. Before the no breeding law was passed in their ice dwelling, it was all the adults ever did. There wasn’t much else to do. There still wasn’t much else to do except exist and be bored out of their minds. No one ever told Honor they loved her. She was a nothing girl, considered worthless because she couldn’t hunt. She bet she could hunt better than anyone if they would just teach her. But no, she had to keep her and her vagina safely hidden away so that lusty vampires couldn’t force her to breed.

  Honor watched as the women stored away the meat the men brought back. She didn’t bother to help. She was worthless, so why not act it? No one could make her work. Dylan had tried a few times, but Honor wouldn’t be bullied, and on rare occasions when
pushed too hard, Honor struck back. Because he had failed to force her obedience on a continuous basis, Dylan stopped trying—he only embarrassed himself. He was satisfied with the few slaps he could get away with when Honor swore and Dylan had the entire clan to back him.

  Dinner in the dwelling was always such a somber state of affairs. The men ate first, then the women who prepared the food. Honor was last. There was always enough to eat, but it was so dull. Fish, seal, sometimes a huge white rabbit. Honor hated it when they brought the poor little bunnies back. Talek knew this and she swore he did his best to slaughter the creatures in the worst way possible. The bastard may have sworn an oath to her father that he wouldn’t hurt Honor, but it didn’t keep him from tormenting her by regaling what he thought of as hunting prowess—when all he did was murder helpless bunnies.

  Honor went to the cooking pot and scooped up a bowl of the fishy broth in a bone bowl. She sat on her furs and sipped her meal as the others prepared to sleep. The contents warmed her belly, but her mouth only went through the motions of slurping and swallowing. It was the same thing she’d eaten for breakfast and lunch. When Honor finished, she made the pretense of settling into her furs. The fire, which sat upon a slew of rocks, which sat upon a number of thick hides, was burning down. The men had dragged in driftwood as well. It was set to the side to dry. Burnable fuel was always a challenge. Anything salvageable that could be brought in was considered fair game.

  Honor was chilled, her ass felt frozen. Most nights she shivered herself to sleep. The better furs were for the hunters and the few who were considered married—those who still had a spouse or relative who cared. Honor got what was left, bare minimum—bare was right. Honor could see her breath. She fantasized about being warm. Warm in a fur with a handsome man touching her in forbidden areas, telling her he loved her and wanted her baby. Her thoughts were treason of course, but even Talek couldn’t climb into her mind.