The Brethren Of Tavish [Vampire Coven Book 1] (18 page)

“You find a way to feed everything loyal.”

“I created this place. It’s up to me to watch
over everything living and vampire. The Anivamps are loyal, but how loyal would
they remain if I starved them?”

“Is there nothing else for them to eat?”

“My men and I go out and bring back large game.
Humans aren’t the only thing we hunt. It’s another reason the humans may not
wander past the fence. Do you really think a steel fence would keep the
Anivamps out of here? My Anivamps are loyal. The fence is up to protect the
humans from the other animals set loose beyond the gate. That was why it was
lucky Lucile had Perrin. She kept her safe from live wild animals by taking her
high into the trees. The rumor is true; Druid found the child and took her to
Lucile. Druid knows immediately when something or someone enters his domain.”

“They eat human women.”

“Lucile doesn’t. Most often the human bodies
are found by the wild animals. My Anivamps have a taste for warm blood. After
the carcass is gone the Anivamps go after the wild animals that have fed. It’s
the circle of life.”

“It’s an oxymoron—death is the circle of life.”

“Have you been reading more of my books?”

“Yes, many, and the more I read, the more I
learn and the more I think,” Mercy said then smiled.
“
A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens.
Christmas is a fascinating concept.
Everyone happy and
loving.
Why don’t you teach the others to read?”

“Because ignorance is bliss,” Tavish answered.
“My vampires only give miniscule glimpses of memories to humans to keep them
happy. Once I can increase the human population, the law will change. After the
ice age, the world will be washed clean. No more wars, no more famine and
racism, no discrimination about sexual preference. You asked if I wanted to run
the world. Who better than a man who has seen almost everything?

“You’ve witnessed both extremes, little cub. In
your world, a woman was killed for becoming pregnant. In mine, a woman must
carry. But with these humans there has never been a case of assault here. This
is what they know from birth and accept it. Sex is taught to be open and
caring. My men are shown how to love gently. I won’t allow a woman to be
bullied into fearfully being taken. This is their life.
Their
home.
Because they accept it, I am responsible to make certain they
want
to accept it. Every man, woman and
child is taken care of. Never will they go hungry; never will they be denied
medical care. Never will they be denied love and hope and happiness. Never will
they be denied a home where they are safe and feel protected. If we must have
one law it will be to live, but to live happily. Without happiness there is no
life.”

“The world really will be yours, won’t it?”

“Yes, mine and my
men’s.”

“Your sons?”

Tavish looked startled. “I have no son.”

“You could have,” Mercy said. “I could give you
a son, or a daughter, with the man of your choice. After Jarrod died and Ursus
came to me, I realized you don’t want to be alone. Ursus has been your friend
forever; she is your family. She practically shoved me out the door after you.
She was worried about you, she loves you. Ursus can’t have a baby, but you can.
She would love your child too; you wouldn’t raise him alone. You don’t need to
turn me. It would be enough to know my son would have you forever.”

“I don’t know that I want a son of my own. All
the children here are mine in a way. I take care of them, provide for them.”

“Would you deny yourself the love you felt for
your father?”

Tavish looked irritated. “My father died for
me.”

“Does that scare you?
To love
like that?”

“I have enough to worry about.”

“But it’s okay for me to love like that and
know I’ll lose my child to wild animals,” Mercy snapped.

“Where is this coming from?”

“You want me to breed like all the other women.
I can’t, Tavish, I won’t lie with a man I don’t love unless it’s to have your
child. Otherwise
it’s
assault—yes, in your books I
have read what rape is. Your law comes dangerously close.”

“It is law,”
Tavish thundered. “The
women here are not raped.”

Mercy held her ground. “Then give me to your
Anivamps.
First my father and now you.
My body is
mine
alone. I’m done having a man make my choices for me.”

“You talk treason,” Tavish said with a snarl.

“Yes. Do your worst. I won’t ever change my
mind.”

Tavish strode to a tree and punched it. His
fist went in a foot. Mercy regarded him calmly. He glared at her. “You are
putting me in a difficult position. This is why the humans are not schooled.”

“They will be eventually. What then, Tavish?
What will your vampires do when women realize they may not want to get pregnant?
Will you keep a law thousands of years old?
With perhaps
thousands of women?
Even you can’t control that many.”

Tavish took to the sky. Mercy sighed. She had
made up her mind. The only way to keep her child safe was to have Tavish agree
to be the father. He could have his utopia, but she was making a ripple.

* * * *

“Damned woman,” Tavish growled.

“Problems?”
Caine asked.

“She wants me to agree to be her child’s
father. I don’t want to be a father.”

“Odd you should say that, about having a child,
I mean,” Caine said.

“How so?”

“I’ve been pondering your dilemma with Jarrod
and his memories and how Mercy had tasted his blood through you, and I may be
able to give you a vampire child.”

“What?
How?”

“It’s not exact science but—”

“What? What?
How, damn it?”

Caine chuckled. “For a man who says he doesn’t
want a child, you certainly seem interested.”

Tavish slumped into a chair. “I won’t kill a
female breeder for treason. But I can’t force her to lay with a man when she
doesn’t want to. My little cub understands the concept of rape. The others
don’t, not that any have opposed me before. It can’t go back to the way it was.
The fear, the suffering and hurt.
The sadness would be
deplorable.”

“The law allows us to live. It allows all of
us, humans and vampires, to live.”

“I know. I battle moral with justifiable ends.
The women here are happy. They are excited when they become of age because I’ve
stressed how important they are to everyone’s survival. They are the ‘chosen’
and it makes them feel special. Wanted and loved. If my little cub goes on a
rampage I’ll need to silence her somehow. I can’t. She’s irritating,
infuriating, smart, and sweet. Shit, she’s driving me insane.”

“Sounds like love to me,” Caine said and
smiled. “It was bound to happen sometime. You can safely say it was later
rather than sooner in your case, old man.”

“Tell me your hypothesis.” Tavish rubbed at his
temples.

“If Mercy takes a man of your choice, he would
and must really be a man of your choice.”

“What do you mean?”

“When the man reaches orgasm you will need to
turn him. Your fluid and his must flow together at the right moment he’s turned.
His sperm will be rendered useless almost exactly the second he’s turned. That
means you need to come at the same time he does. Your semi-viable sperm must
join with his viable one before it dies to keep it alive and moving.”

“Semi-viable sperm?”

“I’ll get to that. Bite him while he bites
Mercy. Turn him and then bite Mercy while he still drinks from her. With the
three of your essences joining, technically, that baby will be yours too, because
you will flow through a man you turn and Mercy will flow through you both. It’s
feasible that because our hearts beat, a vampire can make at least one
semi-viable sperm. I’ve seen it. Alone it’s useless. Vampires absorb human
fluid. That single sperm must mix with a viable human sperm, join as one.
Because it’s the sperm of a vampire, it will seek to conquer. It will only
happen if man and vampire join at the same time.”

“But how can it seek to conquer when we’re each
in a different end?”

Caine chuckled. “Do doors and walls keep you
out?” Tavish lifted an interested eyebrow. “Your vampire fluid flows where it
wants. It’s attracted to its own kind and will seek it out in conquest. It’s
how we’re made.
Designed for control.
It’s why human
blood can flow in our veins, our veins control where it goes.”

“We need to come at the same time?” Tavish was
skeptical. That would take some precision timing.

“Yes. And there’s no guarantee she will get
pregnant the first time. One vampire-human viable sperm is a hell of a long
shot. The chances are greater the older the vampire. Your need to dominate is
very strong, so your fluid will be too. Sperm are created knowing what to do.
With a vampire push in the right direction to make its way, you might just be
successful.”

“Well shit, Caine, I don’t want to go turning
all of the men here for one baby.”

Caine chuckled. “I guess we’ll find out how far
you’re willing to go for a little Mercy.”

* * * *

“The child will be mine,” Tavish said. For
days, he had wandered around with indecision. His mind was finally made up.
If there was even a slight chance….

Both Mercy and Tate were in Tavish’s room. Both
were staring at him wide-eyed and openmouthed. He had explained his demands,
reasoning. Later he would tell Mercy of his love. He was in love with her. The
idea was as thrilling as it was scary. The last people he had loved as much had
been murdered. The idea of losing her was a nightmare memory he couldn’t live
with.

“You’re turning me?” Tate whispered and
swallowed hard. “I will be one of you?
A gift.
I’m
being given a gift for sleeping with your chosen.”

“Only if you pledge
your allegiance to me.
I realize if this works you will be fond of the child but
make no mistake, he’s mine,” Tavish said. Even he realized he sounded
possessive.

“What if she’s a girl?” Mercy asked.

“She’ll have the choice just like my son would
if she wishes to be turned.”

“What if she wants children? What if she
doesn’t?”

Tavish was ready for her. “She can decide if
she wants them. They will be given a choice. I’ll incorporate it so
fast,
the humans will never know what happened.”

Tavish meant it. For thousands of years he had
groomed and coveted his brethren of men. Something had been missing.
A mother’s love and warmth.
A woman’s
sweet touch.
Tavish was going to convince Mercy when the time came she
was meant to rule at his side. He had thought all night about the
repercussions, but it came down to one thought. Could he dump his little Mercy’s
body over the fence when the time came? No, he couldn’t. The mental image alone
brought him to his knees. What then? Build a shrine? Then have the other humans
question his actions.

“You really mean it, don’t you?” Mercy
whispered. She rose to her feet and went to him; he wrapped her in his arms.

“I can’t live without you. I can’t let you
break a law. This is the only way. But,” he paused and took a breath, and at
that moment Tavish felt the beat of his heart. It wasn’t an annoying blip and
he didn’t brush it off. He felt his humanity and he basked in it. The timing
couldn’t have been more symbolic or perfect.

“But what?” she asked.

“When the child is weaned I want you to be by
my side. Stay with me forever, Mercy.”

Her chin rested on his chest as she looked up
at him. “A family forever,” she whispered and closed her eyes.

“Can I be Uncle Tate?” Tate asked hesitantly.

Tavish laughed. They would all be family.
“Why not?
Uncle Tate.”

Hell, why not?

Chapter 11

Mercy lay in bed with Tavish. She played with
his numerous dark chest hairs. She rolled them in her fingers; she tugged on
them. They sprang back. She was in deep thought. She and Tavish and Tate were
going to attempt to make a baby. Tavish’s baby.
Her baby.
Their baby.
Mercy was astounded he had agreed. She was going to have a family again. One
she could touch and hold and love openly. She could have cried with the love she
felt for Tavish. She had asked Tavish to let her get to know Tate better. He
had agreed and Caine had told Tate no sex for two weeks. No masturbation,
nothing. Tate was eager to obey.

The pair had been able to find quiet moments
and just talk. Tate was kindhearted and gentle. He knew of secret hiding places
where Tanya couldn’t interrupt them. Once the coven learned of Mercy’s new
elevated status, she was treated with a great deal of reverence, except by
Tanya. The woman made it her mission to sidle up to Tavish when Tate and Mercy
were together. Mercy would have been jealous, but Tavish treated the woman with
indifference. Mercy knew he found her to be annoying. When Tanya had hinted she
and Tavish had spent the afternoon together while she was off with Tate, Mercy
had simply said, “Good.” Tanya’s smirk was replaced with loathing, realizing
Mercy knew Tavish wanted nothing to do with her.