Raised by Vampires

ROSE

Aleesha wore a thin red silk gown that floated around her curvy body like a waterfall. Shadows from the fire played against her dark skin as she moved to pick Eleanor up in her arms.

I tensed. Even though we’d been in each other’s lives for the last five hundred years, Aleesha and I had never gotten along. When I saw her holding my human daughter, I sensed danger.

“What’s her name again? Eleanor, right?” Aleesha asked. I nodded once, approaching so that I was standing right beside her. Aleesha lifted her head and fixed her brilliant blue gaze on me.

“Yes, I’m making her room. May I? I have to feed her.” I gently plucked Eleanor from Aleesha’s arms. Aleesha smiled and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Not the natural way,” she teased. “She’s awfully warm, isn’t she? And her blood, hmm, smells so sweet. But unfortunately, I heard Elizabeth has first dibs.”

“If you don’t have anything remotely smart to say, I have things to do.” I turned away from her. She hissed and dashed in front of me.

“I’m only here to greet my new niece,” she snarled. I gave her a sarcastic look. She ignored it.

“But, Rose, let’s be honest with each other as sisters-in-law should be. You know as well as me that she’s not going to live very long here,” she continued, ignoring my glare.

“As I said before, if you don’t have anything intelligent to say, then go because I don’t have time to make small talk with you,” I snapped.

Aleesha hissed, flipping her thick raven locks over her shoulder. Her blue eyes blazed as I watched them move from mine to Eleanor, wide awake in my arms.

Aleesha lashed out, her hand gripping Eleanor’s wrist and ripping her out of my arms.

I didn’t even have time to hesitate. Aleesha’s eyes had turned bright scarlet. Her mouth was open and descending on Eleanor’s wrist.

I pounced, wrapping my arms around her neck and tackling her to the ground. Eleanor let out a shrill cry as Aleesha dropped her to the ground.

I didn’t have time to go to my daughter. Tasting the air, I could tell she hadn’t been hurt, just shocked.

Aleesha rolled on top of me, her fangs bared, her eyes bright crimson. She dug her hand into my hair and tugged. I let out a cry and whipped back, scratching my nails down her cheek.

The smell of her blood filled the room, and she hissed. I rolled over, knocking her off my body. She scrambled back against the wall, hissing, her face covered in her blood.

“You stupid bitch!” she snarled.

“Hag from hell,” I sneered back.

She pounced again. I raised my arms as she landed on my body, scratching my face and arms. The wounds stung as I felt my cold blood pour out, my heart beating furiously in my chest.

Fighting through her long red nails, I shoved my arms up, gripping her shoulders and pulling her closer to me. Baring my teeth, I sank my fangs into the cold flesh of her neck.

The blood in my mouth was a burst of pleasure, rich and perfumed, but it was blood for sex and not for nourishment. I ripped my head away, spitting out the piece of her neck in my mouth.

Her scream echoed throughout the cathedral. Her blood flowed freely from her wound, quickly covering her quite naked neckline and staining her already red dress.

Her blood dripped against my face and collarbone. My chin was covered in her blood, my mouth full.

Aleesha didn’t have time to bite me. Two strong arms ripped her off me, screaming and still bleeding freely.

Jude wrapped his arms around his mother’s body, holding her in an iron grip she couldn’t break.

I glanced around. Demetrius was kneeling next to me, looking angry and a little proud. Aric and the twins were hovering in the doorway with their cousin Eloise.

Demetrius slipped his arms under my body and picked me up in his arms. I was still bleeding, my heart still racing in my chest. I scanned the room, looking for Eleanor.

“Where’s Eleanor?” I whispered, my eyes widening.

“Gone to hell,” Aleesha spat, her red eyes slowly dimming to their normal bright blue. My body jerked in Demetrius’s arms; he held me tighter, in a grip I couldn’t break.

My eyes flew across the room, panic rising in my throat.

“She’s here,” I heard a muffled voice answer. Angus straightened up behind his wife, carrying Eleanor in his arms. The whole room tensed, staring at him, waiting for his next move.

“Give her to me, Angus,” I said, my voice deep and threatening. He glanced at me, then at his bleeding wife.

“Kill it,” she hissed at him. He stared at Eleanor.

“Don’t do it, Angus. Please.” I begged Demetrius to put me down slowly, placing one hand on my hip.

“Kill it, Angus, or I will,” Aleesha continued, spitting blood out of her mouth.

“Let’s all calm down. Mother, calm down so you can heal,” Jude breathed in his soft voice. He never spoke above a whisper. I glanced up at his young dark blue eyes boring into mine.

Aleesha relaxed in his arms slightly, and I watched as the tear in her neck healed. My heartbeat stopped. I was completely healed but still soaked in blood, both mine and Aleesha’s.

“The young are always so wise. Aren’t they, Rose?” Demetrius breathed, rubbing his hand over my shoulder.

“Angus, please. Hand Eleanor to me.” I reached one arm out, meeting his blue gaze, not letting his eyes slide from mine.

“Just kill it, Angus. Kill it, and get all this over with,” Aleesha purred sweetly, her wound healed completely.

“No! No, please, Angus,” I stepped toward him, shadowed by Demetrius. I couldn’t tell if he was trying to protect me or stop me from getting into another brawl.

I saw Eleanor’s curious blue-green eyes look around slowly. She looked so small and helpless in his strong arms.

Her small head turned, and her eyes met mine. I stared deep into her eyes, and she blinked back at me. Then I saw her smile. I felt her gaze fill me up, warming my still heart.

She was smiling at me with her two small teeth—my human daughter, so beautiful, so small and fragile. I needed to protect her.

Angus was still hesitating, and then his eyes flashed bright red.

“She’s all yours, my dear!” he hissed, suddenly throwing Eleanor up into the air toward Aleesha. At that second, Jude let go of his mother, who leapt in the air toward Eleanor, her fangs bared.

Demetrius didn’t hesitate to let me go either. I kept my eyes on the falling baby, my fangs bared, my arms reaching out. Aleesha was so close to Eleanor.

I lashed out with my nails, catching Aleesha on the side of the face, reopening her cheek. The shock was enough to knock her down to the ground. Eleanor fell into my arms.

I wrapped my arms around her tightly, closing my eyes and breathing in her thick bloody scent.

“Bitch. I swear to you, I will kill her!” Aleesha hissed at me, wiping the fresh blood from her face.

She turned to glare at her husband, then stalked out of the room, elegantly flipping back her raven black locks.

Angus moved out after her. Jude and Eloise slipped away silently. Aric hesitated in the doorway before leaving. The twins grinned at me as they made their exit.

I held Eleanor in my arms tightly and turned toward Demetrius. He grinned at me.

“You were beating her again,” he breathed. I smiled slightly.

“She’s no match for me,” I replied simply.

“No one is.” He pressed his lips against my forehead then turned toward the room I’d dug.

“I’ll add the toilet now and electricity. We can finish the floors and walls another night.” He turned back to me.

“Fine by me.”

“You should probably take a shower. You’re covered in blood,” he recommended.

I nodded once, then frowned when I saw Eleanor’s blanket already tainted with our blood. I leaned down and placed her in her crib.

“I’ll be right up to help you.”

“Nah, I can manage. You take a long shower,” Demetrius replied with his back to me as he examined the room. I smiled after him then disappeared into our room.