His Ruthless Bite | Historical Paranormal Romance: Vampires (Scandals With Bite Book 4) (27 page)

“My lady!” her new friend shouted, picking up her skirts and running to her.

This was no cold greeting, Lenore thought with a tremulous smile as Alice embraced her. This time her words of farewell were difficult as she choked them out. The farmer’s wife nodded in sympathetic understanding.

“Rubbing elbows with our sort never was proper,” Alice said firmly, patting Lenore’s hand. “It was only a matter of time before your husband decided that. You have a household to run and heirs to birth.”

They exchanged a tearful farewell before Lenore performed the most difficult part of this visit. Grasping Alice’s shoulders, she captured her gaze. Then, with guilt choking her, Lenore sank her fangs into the woman’s throat and opened her mind to Alice’s memories. After only three swallows, she withdrew and healed her friend’s wound with her blood. Still holding Alice entranced, she filled her mind with images of seeing Lenore when she went to market, and of walking beside her to the meetings before dusk fell.

Releasing Alice’s mind, she fought back tears once more as she embraced her friend one last time and headed off to bid Mrs. Hanson goodbye… and to fill her mind with false memories.

As much as she hated toying with their minds like that, Gavin was right about the risks of the speculations that had been circulating about her and Elliotson. Hopefully her efforts would help mitigate the danger. After all, though vampires were just as immune to holy water as humans, they were not immune to sunlight. She’d be certain to convince Mrs. Hanson that she glimpsed Gavin in the daylight as well.

Once her heartbreaking mission was complete, Lenore hurried back to Darkwood Manor, evading detection from the vampires guarding the place. She made her way back up the tree as quietly as possible and back to her bedchamber, replacing the board over the window and covering it with the tapestry.

Quickly, she changed her clothes and lay back on her bed. It seemed she’d gotten away with her deception after all, since her door remained intact.

Moments after she closed her eyes, she heard footsteps coming up the stairs, down the hall, and finally to her door.

“Are you quite finished starving yourself?” Gavin’s voice rang with contempt.

For a moment Lenore was tempted to say no and remain in her room, but then she realized that if she hadn’t gone out and fed already, she would have been famished. There was no need to draw suspicion.

“Yes,” she called back sullenly. “Allow me to dress and I shall be down.”

When she opened her door, she saw that he hadn’t moved from his post in the hall. He stood rigid and stern, with his arms crossed, yet there was an odd glimmer of some indiscernible emotion to his gaze. Was it remorse?

He didn’t say a word as he offered his arm. Lenore took it and couldn’t fight a flare of heat at his touch. A lump formed in her throat. Why did they have to be at odds with each other? Why couldn’t all the painful tragedy of last night never have happened?

Once they were outside, Gavin cleared his throat. “I apologize for being so harsh last eve. If you want to bid your doctor friend farewell, I’ll take you tomorrow night.”

He gave her a long, penetrating look as something like guilt crawled over her like an army of ants. Lowering her head to hide her gaze, she nodded. “Th-thank you.”

Again silence enveloped them, thick and choking before he inclined his head. “We must find our meals quickly and then go to the castle ruins. I’ve arranged a Gathering to tell our people about this new danger.”

Our people
. The words simultaneously filled her with longing and remorse. They were her people now… and how much of this danger had been her doing? Would Gavin tell them about her deeds? Or did they already know? Would they hate her?

They found their meal quickly in a pair of pickpockets before Gavin took her hand, once more imbuing her with unfulfilled need. Then they ran. As the world dissolved into a blur when they covered the miles in ground devouring speed, Lenore’s heart lightened for a precious moment. No matter how badly he’d hurt her, she’d always be grateful to him for showing her what she could do with her meager power.

Too soon they arrived at the castle, its crumbled walls and parapets standing like a sentinel under the moonlight.

Heart in her throat, she allowed herself to take comfort in the strength of Gavin’s grip as he led her through the concealed tunnel and down to the gathering area deep within the bowels of the castle.

Oh how she hated these Gatherings, being surrounded by dozens of more powerful vampires, enduring their looks of scorn as they smelled her weakness.

This time, something was different. The Rochester vampires all bowed slightly to her after acknowledging their lord. This time, as the Lord Vampire’s wife, she garnered respect.

Yet she did not deserve it.

“People of Rochester,” Gavin’s voice boomed with authority. “I’ve gathered you here tonight to inform you of a new danger in our midst. Someone has been spreading vampire literature throughout the village.”

Countless mutters of startled surprise reverberated from the chamber.

Gavin surveyed his people, his face grave. “The superstitions appear to have returned, as Doctor Elliotson, my lady wife’s mortal friend, was doused with holy water yesterday afternoon.”

Their collective gasp made Lenore’s chest tighten.

“Thankfully whoever did it is clearly ignorant of what will hurt our kind, but that does not make the incident any less grave. Cecil, Benson, and I have been trying to discern the source of sudden influx of fear mongering. My lady wife has also been doing her part, in searching the minds of the village women while she performed her mesmerism with the doctor.”

Lenore sucked in a breath as the vampires’ eyes widened and they nodded in comprehension. Fighting to keep her face stoic, she wondered why Gavin had told them such a lie to justify her actions. Was it to keep them from censuring her? Or to prevent embarrassment to himself?

Of course, if any of her patients had suspected anything pertaining to the supernatural she
would
have erased it from their minds and she
would
have told Gavin. The reasoning gave her some comfort and justification to the ruse.

“Given our investigations,” Gavin continued. “The only thing that seems to have any relation to this influx of hysteria is the infiltration of rogues in our lands. The vampire propaganda appeared shortly after they did.”

As the audience gasped and muttered, Lenore also started in shock. In the midst of her preoccupation with her work and growing captivation with her husband, she’d nearly forgotten all about the rogues. A ball of ice formed in her belly. Biting back a whimper, she focused on Gavin’s words. Could they have truly been responsible for spreading rumors about vampires?

Gavin paced back and forth before his people, his brows knitted together in contemplative consternation. “Though I confess, I do not know what motives they would have for bringing such danger to us, as it would pose greater risks to themselves, but there is no other explanation.” His eyes glowed with wicked fury as he bared his fangs in a deadly smile. “Perhaps they’ll explain themselves when we round them up and interrogate them.” He glanced over at Cecil with a smirk. “That is, if Cecil is able to have some restraint and not slay them on the spot like the last one.”

Lenore glanced at Cecil in astonishment. He’d killed a rogue? Gavin
had
truly been busy when he’d left her alone all those nights. Fresh guilt gnawed at her as she remembered accusing him of neglect, along with a tinge of relief that at least one rogue was dead.

“Speaking of, you will be pleased to know that Benson has recovered from being attacked, though I’ve still ordered him to rest for another night or two,” Gavin told them all. “So I know he would greatly appreciate visitors to ease his boredom.”

Oh God
, Lenore’s stomach clenched. Gavin’s second had been attacked? Why hadn’t he told her? If she’d known the danger had escalated that far, she would have ceased her work in the village on her own.

Anger welled in her stomach at Gavin for leaving her ignorant.

Gavin’s voice rang out in severe command. “In the light of these new dangers, not only do I reiterate my command to always hunt in pairs…”

Lenore’s heart constricted, remembering all the times she’d gone alone. Why hadn’t Gavin told her?

“But also do your best to subtly dissuade everyone you feed on that our kind is but a foolish myth.” Gavin’s expression softened into an amused smirk. “Eating garlic, crossing running water, carrying a bible, and other such nonsense should help as well. And I don’t need to tell you to destroy any book or pamphlet you encounter.”

The vampires chuckled a moment before Gavin held up a hand. “Before we disperse for the night, there is one more matter I must address. Lenore, come here.”

Lenore flinched at the sudden coolness in his tone.

Lifting her skirts, she tentatively approached him. “Yes, my lord?”

“You have disobeyed me,” he said coldly. This wasn’t her husband’s voice. This was his lord’s voice. “Cecil saw you visiting the doctor without my leave.”

He knew,
she realized with little surprise. His talk of taking her to visit Elliotson had only been a test, to see if she’d come clean. How could she have been so foolish as to think her venture had been unnoticed? Gasps and whispers erupted around her, the scrutiny of the audience palpable as a swarm of insects.

Although she was humiliated at having her transgression made public, she couldn’t hold Gavin at fault. With his third in command reporting the incident, he had no choice but to do this, or risk losing face. Though if he’d told her about the rogues in the first place, she wouldn’t be in this position. However, she wouldn’t dare argue with him in front of their people.

Lenore remembered his earlier command.
Do not grovel.
Instead, she raised her gaze to his, humble but not entreating. “I did, my lord. I am sorry.”

Was it her imagination, or did some of the vampires nod in approval?

“I told you to stay away from Elliotson, but you did not listen to me.” Gavin stalked around her like a lion cornering a gazelle. “You give me no choice but to punish you.”

The memory of Myrtle’s terrified eyes as Cecil and Benson dragged her off, her abject pleas for mercy, made shudders wrack her form so severely, she nearly collapsed on the platform.

Echoing the fearsome memory, Cecil and another vampire moved forward to seize her.

Gavin held up a hand, freezing them mid-step. “I will address this matter myself.” He grasped Lenore’s arm, though not ungently. “This gathering is now adjourned.”

The Rochester vampires’ eyes bored through her back as he led her out of the chamber.

Once they returned to Darkwood Manor, it took all of Lenore’s will not to struggle and try to flee. The only thing that stopped her was the knowledge that Gavin would certainly catch her and increase her punishment.

“Sleep,” Gavin commanded the servants, leaving them to shamble like automatons up to their quarters.

To her surprise, he did not haul her down to his dungeons. Instead, he led her up to their bedchamber.

Closing the door behind them, he locked the door with an ominous click and paced in front of her.

“What am I to do with you, Lenore?” His voice rang with frustration and regret. “I promised I would never hurt you the way Clayton and his rogues did, so that means I cannot shackle you, or lock you away. I cannot starve you. I could discipline you in the manner that many husbands do with their wives…”

She sucked in an outraged gasp.

“But I find the idea repugnant,” he finished.

She relaxed slightly at the news that she wouldn’t be beaten or imprisoned, but her trepidation remained as he stalked around her like a ravenous wolf.

Straightening her spine, she stared back at him. “If you’d told me what had occurred with your second, or even that the rogues were spreading vampire literature, I never would have gone to see Elliotson alone.”

To her surprise, his shoulders slumped in defeat. “I should have told you. I only kept the information from you because I was afraid it would make your nightmares return.” He sighed. “However, that still does not give you the right to disobey your lord, especially so flagrantly in front of a witness.”

“What are you going to do?” she whispered past the thudding of her heart.

“First, you are not to leave this house without me for the next month,” he told her, then shook his head before she could say a word. “But there must also be an immediate consequence, though as some of the fault is mine, it won’t be too severe.” His long fingers grasped her chin. “Do you know why vampires sometimes feed on each other?”

She shook her head. “I only fed from the rogue for the strength to escape.”

“Strength.” Gavin nodded. “That is precisely it. With permission, it is a great honor.”

Again, the memory of him feeding her from his own vein, bestowing his power upon her flashed through her mind with aching clarity.

“Without permission, it is considered a demonstration of superiority.” Gavin’s voice grew husky and ominous. “I’ve heard tales of a vampire who only feeds on other vampires, draining their power, taking it for his own. I’m quite certain they’re Banburry tales to frighten younglings like you into not straying from their masters, but that does not make the idea any less disconcerting.”