Chapter Two
Humans thought blood was what gave vampires their strength. And it was true that they needed to drink regularly. Vampire bodies did not produce their own for some reason, and so taking from another was the only way keep the blood flowing in their veins. But they could survive months, years even, without tasting so much as a drop of blood, if they were careful. Henry himself had once gone five years without feeding.
The same could not be said of sex.
Sex was as vital to the survival of vampires as food was to humans. To go even one day without it was a hardship, and abstinence over several days made a vampire lose focus, weaken and become lethargic and confused.
Henry had not had sex for almost a week now, and he trembled at being near three such young, strong-bodied women, especially after the kiss the oldest one gave him.
He ushered his three new brides to his quarters quickly, his heart pounding in his chest. The woman who had kissed him was still holding his hand and all he could think of was her: tearing off her clothes, burying himself in her. He was panting by the time they got to his quarters. There, the last of the brides that he had chosen previously, Cheri, now white-haired, delicate and wrinkled, was sat in her chair next to the fire.
"You took new brides, then?" she asked him, her fragile fingers clasping over his wrist when he went to kiss her forehead. Cheri surveyed the three women.
"Please explain to them," Henry choked out. "I need…"
Cheri nodded. Henry released her hand and headed for his room. He'd been taking care of himself for a week now, and he still had the strength to hold back until his new brides understood. Until one of them agreed to be in his bed. He would never touch a woman without her consent.
It was bad enough to kidnap these women, to tear them from their families, but to pressure them into coupling with the man who, for all intents and purposes, had stolen them? It was barbaric, and he couldn’t do it.
No, his people might be barbarians, but he was not. He would handle himself, and if he needed to he would seek out one of the vampire women who served the palace. He didn't get as satisfied with them as with human women, but it was better than nothing.
To his surprise, the woman who had kissed him before followed him into his room. She closed the door behind them and pulled her shirt off. Henry stared at her magnificent body. She had substance to her that most of the women brought underground lacked. He'd never seen such a voluptuous figure before.
"No," he gasped out, as she went to remove her her pants. "You don't know what—"
"I do. Your father told you I'm a witch." Her warm brown eyes fixed on him, a slight smile on her face. She was the picture of calm. "I know you won't hurt me. Even if you tried, I'd simply use my magic to render you to jelly. I know what you need, Henry, and I'm here to give it to you."
Henry stared at her. It must be his starvation, he couldn’t be hearing what he thought he was. "You… you know what I need?"
She stepped closer, her gaze running down the length of his body, her eyes heated, stirring his desire.
"Yes. And as I said, I will stop you if you hurt me. I promise not to turn you into jelly. At least not that way." A gleam came to her eye, but when he backed up again her brow furrowed. "Or is it that you're afraid that I'm unwilling?"
Henry swallowed hard, letting his own gaze absorb her. She was very different to the usual women the hunters brought back. They usually brought blondes, for starters. Skin as pale as a vampire's, hair like gold, eyes like cornflowers. All with flat stomachs, flared hips, large breasts. This woman had dark hair, dark eyes, skin with a hint of ochre in it. Her stomach was rounded, breasts a little too small for her waist, arms a little too large. And yet as he gazed at her, Henry couldn't help but think she was perfection itself.
"What's your name?"
"Rachel." She laughed softly. "I forgot. You don't know me yet."
"But… you know me?" He narrowed his eyes at her, trying to push past his hunger for her. He was not an animal. He could at least get to know her a little first.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm not just any witch, Henry. I can see the future. I have been waiting for this moment for years. I know you, and I love you. I want this more than I want my next breath."
Henry's eyes widened. A Seer? Had his father kidnapped a Seer? For hundreds of years, his father had wanted a precognitive witch in his court. That she would be his son's bride… It could be dangerous for Rachel if his father ever found out.
The thought vanished from Henry's mind as Rachel brushed her lips against his. With a groan of desire, he pulled her closer.
***
Henry ran his hands down Rachel's arms, checking for any blemish on her skin. She didn't have so much as a bruise, and he let out a sigh of relief.
"I told you that you weren't going to hurt me." She smirked at him.
"So you really see the future, then?"
She nodded.
"And you came here willingly?"
"I knew when the hunters were going to come for my sister and me, and we decided that we would allow them to take us. We have a better future as your brides than as homeless thieves above the surface. I wanted to start our relationship off right." She hesitated a moment. "But I don't see everything in the future, and I need to let you know something."
He met her gaze, smiling happily. It usually took much longer than this to develop a good relationship with any one of his brides, and he was happy that Rachel was already comfortable with him. That she wasn't frightened of him. Hopefully, the other two would be the same.
"I don't expect you will, but if you so much as lay a finger on my little sister, I will rip out your heart and cook it." Rachel's gaze and voice were steady.
Henry's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. She's only seventeen. You are not going to touch her. After she turns twenty and is an adult, she can decide whether she wants you or not, but until then you don't even look at Leila. Understood?"
The order had Henry's hackles rising, but he could understand where Rachel was coming from. She was just protecting her younger sister, and that was something he could respect. "Which one is she?"
"The other brunette."
Henry nodded. "And the redhead? What about her?"
"Becky." Rachel looked pensive for a moment and then shrugged one shoulder. "I never saw anything about your relationship with her. I just know that she and I are going to be very good friends. She's an adult. If she wants you, then that's her choice. I know you won't touch her if she doesn't want you to."
"But your sister is another matter?"
"No. I don't think you'd touch her, especially considering she'd rip your head off if you tried. I just wanted things to be clear between us."
Henry nodded slowly. He was impressed that Rachel didn't seem jealous of his need for other women. "I understand. You are all I need for the moment, anyway."
Rachel smiled, as though he had complimented her rather than just stated a fact. Truthfully, he should have taken new brides years ago. Cheri was too old and fragile to feed him any longer. He had thought he had time, but his younger bride, Florence, had died unexpectedly, leaving him with few prospects. She had only been forty years old. She should have lived another sixty years at least, more if she took health supplements in her older years.
"Perhaps you should introduce me to your sister and friend?" he said politely, offering Rachel his arm.
The Seer smiled, accepting his arm, and the two of them strolled out into the main chamber of his quarters. Cheri beamed at him and he pulled himself from Rachel to go to her. He pressed a kiss to her lips and squeezed her hand.
"Are my brides caught up?"
Rachel's sister, Leila, snorted. "Call me a bride again."
It was clearly a challenge. Henry frowned as he gazed at the young woman. She was young, too young for him, and she clearly wanted nothing to do with him. Her hands flexed as she glared at him, and he wondered if she wanted to tear his head off even though he had not made a move towards her.
"Rachel has explained to me that she is a Seer, and you knew what you were getting into," he said. "But I want to reassure you–all of you." He glanced at Becky, who shivered but help his gaze. "You are my brides according to vampire law, but I will not touch any of you without your permission. I am sorry for how you came to me. The hunt is a barbaric tradition."
Rachel stepped up to him and smiled. He smiled back. This was going to take some getting used to, having a woman he didn't know accept him so readily. He liked it, but it was still a little odd.
"Now," he said, sitting beside Cheri and tugging Rachel into his lap. "Why don't we get to know each other better?"