His Ruthless Bite | Historical Paranormal Romance: Vampires (Scandals With Bite Book 4) (35 page)

“As of now, he seems to be innocent of anything to do with the Hunter. He also wishes to become a citizen. I would like him taken to a secure, but comfortable chamber, placed under guard, and brought a meal before I question him tomorrow.” Gavin turned to Elliot and Carolyn, who stared at Will with wariness and curiosity. “If you would like to fetch at least two other vampires and work in shifts, it would be greatly appreciated.”

The two bowed and walked off with lifted chins, proud of the responsibility of guarding a prisoner. They didn’t have to know that Gavin selected them for their kindness… or that he was auditioning them for new responsibilities. He’d confessed as much when assuring Will that he would be treated fairly during his confinement and evaluation.

He bade Benson and Elena to select older, more vigilant vampires to guard Rolfe… in pairs. And there would be no meal for this one, Lenore thought grimly. No waste of blood for one who would not live to see the end of the next night.

While Gavin was capable of compassion, the rumors had not lied about his ruthlessness. And for that, Lenore was grateful as she watched Benson and Elena seize the vampire who’d been responsible for Cecil’s death and endangering them all.

“What happened to his hand?” Elena asked, frowning at the stump, which had begun to scab over and heal.

“He raised it to me and Justus cut it off.” Gavin grinned, neglecting to mention that Justus had saved their lives with that quick action.

“And Lenore’s gown?” Her eyes worriedly roved over the charred fabric.

Gavin sighed. “It is quite a long tale. Let’s save it for tomorrow night, shall we?”

Elena and Benson nodded, though both looked like they’d rather argue. After Will and Rolfe were hauled away, Gavin lifted Lenore in his arms and carried her into the house.

He ordered a hot bath drawn and insisted on bathing her himself. Only when he began to scrub her back with a blissfully hot cloth did Lenore realize that her shaking still hadn’t subsided. But now that she was home and safe, with the stench of burnt fabric and rogues washed from her hair and body, her tension at last began to ease.

“You don’t have to pamper me so,” she argued when he lifted her from the bath and carried her to bed.

“Oh, but I do,” he said firmly. “You were put through hell because of my past. And yet you still said you love me.”

Her drowsy eyes opened at the awe in his tone. Had he not known how she felt? She smiled. Then again… “It was strange to first learn from your enemy that you loved me.”

Gavin chuckled. “I thought everyone knew how I felt about you before I did. Some nights I’ve been tempted to shout it from the rooftops.” He held her tighter and gazed at her like she held the secrets of the universe. “In light of our mutual declarations, would you make me the happiest of men and—”

“Are you proposing to me
again
?” she giggled.

“Yes, but for real this time.” His knuckles brushed her cheek, his gaze more solemn than she’d ever seen. “I am done with pretend marriages to evade scrutiny from the mortals. I want real ones… and all of them with you.” He tilted her chin up, his mouth hovering over hers. “Lenore, will you be my wife and live and hunt by side for the rest of our long lives?”

Breathless joy encompassed her. “I will,” she whispered against his lips.

May Day, 1824

One month later

Gavin smiled down at his wife as she tapped her foot and watched the chimney sweeps dance around the Jack in the Green, a man costumed as a leafy, flowering tree to herald the spring. Gavin had previously viewed the annual Sweep’s Festival as an annoyance at best, and a dismal reminder of the shortened nights at worst.

Now, seeing Lenore’s delight in the revelry renewed his enthusiasm for the ancient custom… especially since he now had reason to enjoy spending the longer daylight hours in bed.

Lord and Lady Villar stood beside them, watching the dancers with reserved amusement. Lenore had insisted on inviting them, so they could be reassured of her happiness. To Gavin’s relief, she’d told them nothing of last month’s debacle with the rogues and the Hunter.

Gavin shuddered to imagine Rafael’s reaction if he learned that Lenore had been abducted a second time, no matter how brief and, thankfully, bloodless it had been.

Lenore looked up at him with shining eyes. “My father had always dreamed of visiting Rochester to dance with the other chimney sweeps and awaken the Jack in the Green.”

Cassandra gave her that same indulgent, yet uncomprehending smile that the nobility frequently bestowed on the lower classes when hearing of their customs, but Gavin regarded Lenore with a broad grin. Though many of her tales about her past were dismal and heartbreaking, she also had a plethora of cheerful stories, and he never tired of hearing of them.

“Perhaps he is watching them with you from above,” he told her. “I do hope he would have approved of me.”

“He would have, I know it,” she said so fiercely that he couldn’t help pulling her into his arms for a kiss. That was another thing he liked about festivals. Wantonness was encouraged, and he intended on taking full advantage of the customs later, in a secluded grove under the stars.

“It is good to see you so happy,” Cassandra said when they broke apart.

Rafael nodded stiffly, still scowling as if he didn’t believe Lenore was truly happy. Gavin couldn’t fault him as he also found it hard to fathom that a curmudgeon like Villar could be so in love with
his
wife.

Still, that didn’t stop him from extrapolating on how well Lenore had settled into life in Rochester. “Lady Darkwood has become a sort of physician for emotions to the vampires here… and sometimes others from neighboring lands.” He beamed with unrepressed pride. “They tell her of their troubles and she offers comfort and counsel. She really seems to cheer them.” He met Rafael’s gaze and smirked. “Perhaps you could benefit from a session.”

Lord Villar’s scowl deepened. “Better her than her former colleague. I don’t want his fingers probing my head.”

Lenore and Gavin nodded. Dr. Elliotson had left for London before his leg was even fully healed, grumbling at the ignorance and superstition of village life. Gavin had taken Lenore to visit him and all the man could do was rant about how his practice of phrenology would revolutionize medicine forever. At first Gavin had been concerned that the carriage accident had addled the man’s mind, but Lenore assured him that he’d already been fanatical.

Cassandra changed the subject. “Thank you again for inviting us to this wonderful festival.”

“You are welcome any time,” Gavin said. “Another benefit of these events is the easy hunting. The bushes are a veritable orchard of hidden lovers to feast upon… that is, unless you have the same idea and wish to find a secluded bower.”

Lady Villar gave her husband a sultry smile. “I do so love the country air. Will you walk with me to enjoy the night?”

Rafael’s amber gaze burned with love and desire. “Of course,
Cara
.”

As the couple wandered off in search of pleasure, Gavin led Lenore in the opposite direction. “I thought I’d never have you all to myself. I know of a private glade not far from here…” he trailed off and frowned as he saw Benson approaching with Will at his heels.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, my lord, but I have a letter for you.” Benson handed him an envelope.

Gavin’s chest tightened as he recognized Justus’s scrawl on the front. Quickly, he broke the seal and read:

My old friend,

I have found my Bethany. She is imprisoned in the Manchester Lunatic Asylum. I will stop at nothing to free her.

As I know that if I brought her to Rochester, people would recognize her, it will be some time before I return. Tell Will that he is in my thoughts and that I hope he is adjusting well.

Regards,

J.

Gavin folded the letter with a sigh. “It seems Justus will be away for a few more years. He’s planning a jail break, and doesn’t wish to burden us for harboring a fugitive.”

Benson snorted. “How very considerate of him, after all he’s brought upon us already.”

“He slayed the Hunter who killed Cecil and delivered the rogue who’d lured him here,” Gavin reminded him. They’d executed Rolfe the next night, after a very brief trial. “And he provided us with a competent and useful vampire.”

After Will’s testimony, Gavin had approved the former rogue to join his ranks, though he would remain under supervision for the next three months. Will had proved to be extremely sharp and had an endless fount of information about the Lord of Grimsby, who was so despised that his neighboring Lord Vampires longed to find a way to oust him.

Benson continued to frown, despite his fondness for Will. “We wouldn’t have had to contend with any of that if Justus hadn’t brought them here in his madcap quest for revenge.”

“People make mistakes,” Gavin said firmly. “Remember that when it is your turn to rule in my place in about twenty years or so.”

Benson’s eyes widened with the realization that he would take on the duty that had been previously reserved for Justus. “Yes, my lord.”

Gavin met Lenore’s gaze with his next words. “Also remember that people can be prone to a bit of madness when they are in love.”

John Elliotson (1791-1868) was an English physician who specialized in mesmerism (the precursor to modern day hypnotherapy) and phrenology. He was also one of the first doctors who regularly used a stethoscope.

He was at first a colleague of Thomas Wakley, surgeon and founder of the medical journal,
The Lancet
(who appears in Bite at First Sight), but later on, Wakley denounced him as a fraud when Elliotson’s medical practices became too eccentric.

Elliotson first practiced mesmerism on poor working class women before eventually opening his own clinic and founding
The Zoist
, a medical journal focusing on his practices.

He was known to be a short, ugly man, but well admired as a lecturer because he could combine structure and theater.

Although Elliotson’s practice in mesmerism didn’t begin until 1829, and his visits to Rochester, where he befriended Charles Dickens happened much later, I used my author’s license to have him practice in 1824, so he could befriend Lenore.

I also had his mysterious 1828 carriage accident occur sooner.

Elliotson could also be considered a forefather of modern psychology, a primary theme in this story.

Thank you so much to everyone who helped make this story possible. Thanks to Bonnie R. Paulson for telling me to write this book, when to release it, and for giving priceless feedback. Thank you to Shona Husk, Layna Pimental, and Merrilee Remmick, for helping me whip the book into shape.

Thank you to my proofreaders, Alicia Braby and Bonnie Maestas.

Thank you to my friends and family for your encouragement and support.

Thank you to my newsletter readers for helping me choose the title and cover image.

Thank you to Bad Movie Club for giving me a much needed escape from this stressful process.

Thank you to my son, Micah Turner, for being the best son a mom could ever wish for, cheering me on while I was riding deadlines, and accompanying me to Red Lobster when it was finally done.

And thank you to Kent Butler for being my real life romance hero.

Formerly an auto-mechanic, Brooklyn Ann thrives on writing romance featuring unconventional heroines and heroes who adore them. She’s delved into historical paranormal romance in her critically acclaimed “Scandals with Bite” series, urban fantasy in her “Brides of Prophecy” novels and heavy metal romance in her “Hearts of Metal” novellas.

She lives in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho with her son, her cat, and a 1980 Datsun 210.

Follow her found online at
http://brooklynann.blogspot.com
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Books by Brooklyn Ann

BRIDES OF PROPHECY series

BOOK 1:
WRENCHING FATE
(February 2014)

She’s haunted by her past.

Akasha Hope trusts no one. Her parents were shot down by uniformed men, which forced her to spend most of her life on the run.

She’s so close to getting out on her own, making her own dreams come true when he shows up and disrupts everything. Her new legal guardian.

His kindness makes suspicious, while his heart-stopping good looks arouse desires she’d kept suppressed.

He promises her a future.

Silas McNaught, Lord Vampire of Coeur d’Alene, has been searching for Akasha for centuries.

He’s perplexed to discover that the woman who has haunted his visions is anything but sweet and fragile. Her foul mouth and superhuman strength covers a tenderness he’s determined to reach.