Vampire Coven Book 3: A Vampire's Embrace (2 page)

“Come to me, beast, and get on with it,” Rhett yelled.

The lion finally took notice and displayed sharp teeth with a mind-numbing roar, which silenced half of the audience. Rhett threw back his head and laughed. Cowards, the lot of them. The lion would not have been fed; Rhett was to be its breakfast.

Not likely.

In its hungry haste, the lion attacked. Rhett lopped off its ear as he spun out of the way of huge claws. The crowd went wild as blood drizzled down the lion’s head. Rhett listened to the cheering of the people. The blurred faces became real. Spittle and food flew from cheering mouths.
More blood
, they bellowed. Rhett had seen his share of violence towards slaves, gladiators, fellow soldiers who couldn’t pull their weight. The weak died, life went on for those who could survive.

Standing there, a loathsome bubbling of bile filled his guts. Those in the audience were the animals. They wanted to see blood and why? Because they thought his child wasn’t perfect. Were those screaming for blood perfect? Were those wanting death human, because they weren’t humane. Rhett possessed mercy; on a rare occasion, the suffering of a woman or child would move him into action. His father claimed it would be the death of him.

The lion attacked again. Rhett was tired of games; he was disgusted with the animals in the stands. The lion was weak from hunger. There was no battle to be found here. The lion came at him again. Sadly, Rhett slipped his sword between the lion’s pitiful rib cage. Rhett backed away with nary a scratch on him as the lion went down and moved no more.

“It is done,” Rhett heard his father yelling over the condemning screams of the people. They didn’t want a merciful dispatch.

Rhett began to walk away, feeling disgusted. He had no doubt his father had picked the sorry beast for him to fight. Being so close to the beast, Rhett had a new respect for the animal. If they didn’t stop the fights there would be no more lions to fight, or tigers or bears. He planned on speaking to his father the second after he had taken Cicely and Acca into his arms.

“
Nooo.”
Rhett heard screamed.

Rhett spun. He should have realized the Emperor would have his own agenda. Three more gates lifted and three new healthy male lions appeared. For a moment, they battled one another until their pecking order was established. They were the emperor’s cats, well fed, pampered, used to humans thrown to them for sport. The people would be given their pound of flesh.

All three lions surrounded Rhett. For a second, he could hear Cecily screaming from the stands, no doubt holding their babe. The first and largest lion sprang forward and Rhett sliced into its belly; a mortal wound, but it would not down the beast yet. Rhett felt four claws slide across his back tearing at his armor. He began to laugh wildly, he couldn’t help himself. A laughing man in battle was a terror to his opponents.

All his life he had fought and been faithful. This was his gift. To leave life in battle, an unfair one to be sure. The Emperor would never let one of his warriors be embarrassed by a sickly lion. A powerful jaw closed over his calf and squeezed until Rhett felt the bones break in his leg. Still Rhett laughed as the crowd cheered. Oddly enough there was no pain. His blood was pumping too fast, he surmised.

Rhett whipped his sword up, then down in a lightning gesture to impale the great cat gnawing through his flesh. All three beasts were a whirlwind of movement and jerks as they attacked, then died. Rhett took a slash to his face. He felt the skin sag and saw a woman retch in the stands. Only his blood loss slowed him down. His breast plate was grabbed and ripped from his body; his chest was exposed to an assault. It came swiftly. Gutted, he’d been gutted, but in the process the lion lost his paw. The claws remained hanging from internal organs.

Rhett killed all three of the big cats. But he knew he was done, blood dripped in rivers across his entire body, his guts were exposed. As he dropped his sword and fell to one knee he could just make out the image of his father racing to him—sword in hand.

“Well, wonders never cease,” Rhett muttered.
Dear father come to save his son.

As he toppled forward, his father reached him and gathered him to his chest. Whispering almost incoherently.

“I did not know, my son. I did not know.”

Rhett laughed. “Of course you didn’t. The emperor has always had a strange sense of humor when it comes to his beasts.”

“You are dying.”

“Of course I am. Just make certain my wife and child are safe.”

His father said not a word. It was then Rhett stopped smiling. He looked towards the stands where his wife, screaming, was being taken away by two men. A sick feeling washed over him. Rhett had died for nothing except entertainment. He struggled in his father’s arms wanting to rise. Three other warriors, none he had ever laid eyes on came to lift him out of the arena. As his father followed, one of the three men turned to stare into his father’s eyes. Without a word his father turned and left.

Rhett was spirited away as he lost consciousness. In wanting to save everything, he had lost everything.

* * * *

“Would you like to live forever?”

Rhett could hear the words in his mind. He was consumed with thought. Darkness rolled with the light he could almost feel. He should go to the light, it was so beautiful, so compelling. There was love in the light, and peace. Peace was a gift. But the voice was cajoling. Rhett was then hit with the words that would seal his fate. He could still save his wife and child.

“
It was my men who spirited them away to safety.”

The second he heard the words Rhett turned from the light to follow the voice into darkness. He would walk into Hell for those he loved most. If there was a chance...

“There, it wasn’t that hard.”

Rapid blinking of his eyes and Rhett could see the three men who had taken him from the arena. He lay on a couch which he quickly vacated. The men were smiling. All three had dark as night hair and blue eyes, as did Rhett. All three were as powerful as Rhett, if not more so.

“Where do you hail from?” Rhett asked suspiciously. “Never have I seen any of you.”

“My name is Tavish,” said the largest of the men. His longish hair was out of place in Rhett’s world. The man looked like a barbarian. His voice was deep, strong, he was a warrior but from where, Rhett had no clue. “This is Laken and Caine.”

Laken had the same looks as Tavish, perhaps they were brothers. Caine was clean cut. One look at Caine and Rhett saw a gentle soul. The man would not last long here. It suddenly dawned on Rhett he wasn’t dead. He felt a little off but hungry, surely that must be a good sign if his belly ached for sustenance. Quickly he glanced down remembering where the lion sliced him open. His guts were no longer protruding. Another thought occurred, though bloodied he felt no pain.

Looking closer at his wounds Rhett stared in awe, there were no bite marks, no scratches or gaping holes. He was standing on a leg he had been certain was crushed. A wary hand touched at his face. The flesh no longer hung. Where blood stained no wound existed. He looked untouched when he was convinced he was almost dead.

“You died all right,” Tavish said then chuckled at Rhett’s confusion.

“But I feel whole and healthy… and so terribly hungry. The hunger grows.”

“It will continue to grow until you are satisfied. I have brought you a gift,” Tavish said.

A snap of his fingers and a beautiful young woman walked into the room and lay on the couch. Rhett, confused, went to gaze down into her innocent face. She looked at him in a daze. She was a real beauty, a prize. Someone’s pet for certain. A well-loved pet. The little slave was no doubt adored; it showed in the gold and jeweled trinkets she wore. Rhett wasn’t interested; his Cecily was the only woman to turn his head since they joined.

“I am in no need of a female. I wish to see my wife,” Rhett snapped. He would not lay with a slave, a slave’s life was hard enough, especially a beautiful one such as this creature. Beauty was a curse in Rome. She did not need another man forced upon her.

“This female isn’t for your pleasure; she is here to satisfy your thirst.” Tavish encouraged Rhett forward until Rhett knelt beside the blond beauty.

“My thirst?” Rhett muttered.

As soon as he drew closer Rhett could smell the flow of her blood, it was the sweetest of flowers; he could hear the gentle beat of her heart. A humming wordless come-hither. He trailed his fingers ever so gently down the side of her unblemished, perfect face. The pull wasn’t sexual, but it was intimate. The desire to be near her was too strong a pull to ignore. Closer, Rhett moved until his lips kissed her neck.

“She is so sweet,” Rhett whispered. He inhaled ambrosia. Life was a gift; the taste of life flowed through this female.

How was that possible?

“She is yours,” Tavish said. The others grinned as he gazed around the room in curiosity.

Rhett gasped as the beauty changed in color. The room turned quiet except for the breathing of the female. Everything he saw was in black and white. The couch was dark where the perfection lay. Exposed to him on a dais. There were no pretty little baubles of color to distract him, no shining silky blond hair tempting him to run his fingers through. Her alabaster skin became translucent showing him her veins. One large vein taunted him, coaxed him, pulsing…begged him to taste. A sweet refreshing drink, a beacon in the now small room, as though only Rhett and the female existed.

How was that possible?

“Drink,” Tavish insisted.

Rhett took orders from no one, yet, he must obey this man. He
wanted
to obey this man, the urge was so strong. Gently at first, Rhett settled his lips against her throat where the vein danced under his tongue which licked at her. The pulsing beat called to him, claimed him. Opening his mouth, his teeth nestled against her warm flesh, her silky salty flesh. Two fangs slipped into that beckoning vein, sliding gently until completely immersed and his lesser teeth bit savagely into her sweetness.

Oh heaven, I am at your door.

The young woman groaned and Rhett felt a strong hand on his shoulder. “Do not drain her, I promise you will be satisfied. This one is a favorite,” Tavish said. Rhett heard the warning but he battled; one must win all battles or die. It had been bred into him from birth.

Ambrosia flowed down Rhett’s throat. Sweet, hot nectar soothed his hunger while firing it systematically. He wanted to rip her throat out, he wanted to savor her. The confusion became too much and Rhett grew angry. She was teasing him, toying with his emotions.

How dare she, the brazen slave?

“Enough,” Tavish bellowed when Rhett gripped her body to his chest.

She was so slight in his arms. She was his, only his and he would teach her what her position was. Soft flesh pressed hard to his bare chest. He would pull her into him; he must take all of her. Rhett wanted her to feel his strength.

She must be closer.

Rhett heard her little bones crunch but still she defied him and would not slide into his body. Strong hands latched onto Rhett’s arms and around his chest dragging him, fighting, away. Bellowing his rage, Rhett fought back but Tavish and Laken were too strong, never had Rhett felt such power. Never had Rhett felt so powerful. Claws unsheathed, fangs struck out. Rhett was a warrior. He would die before he lost in battle. His opponents battled, but theirs was of a different nature. All the while, a tug at his emotions pulled him to stop. He sensed he battled family. Rhett battled his father when he came of age and decided his direction to wed later in life to a woman he chose. His father, his strong father was weak. Tavish wasn’t the same. Tavish was choosing his direction.

For now.

“Enough, my brother.”

Rhett stilled. He had no brother, yet now he sensed many.

Caine was bent over the woman, checking her condition. He sat back on his heels and gazed at Tavish.

“She will be fine, but I will keep her with me for the next few weeks,” Caine said. He glared at Rhett.

Tavish nodded and Caine gathered the woman gently into his arms. Rhett grew still when one moment Caine was there, the next gone. When his gaze settled onto Tavish, the man’s look was grim.

“You must obey me,” Tavish demanded.

“I obey no man,” was Rhett’s quick retort. He then went red remembering he had obeyed Tavish, at first.

Laken chuckled. “It appears our newest member will be a challenge.”

“Member?” Rhett asked.

“You belong to my brethren now,” Tavish informed him.

“Brethren?”

“My coven of vampires. Have you heard of vampires?”

Rhett’s breathing grew rapid. Night walkers? They were a myth. It was daylight. There were no such beasts. Rhett struggled from the grip Tavish had on his arm. Tavish held him for a moment; the pure whites of his eyes glowing with meaning, showing him he released him because he wanted to, not because Rhett wanted him to.

“My wife?”

“My men took her to your cottage with your daughter. The emperor declared them untouchable—with a suggestion from my men. You are dead to your family, but you can watch over them. We will wait until they both die; we have all the time in the world. Tell me, was it worth it?” Tavish asked.