"They might not be the right size but given time, and proper measurements, someone should be able to make you something that fits you better. I don't sew but there are some other women in the camp that can help you with it when the need arises," the girl continued. She thrust out a slender hand that was marred with scratches and cuts. Her palm was rough against his when he took hold of it and shook it. "Aria."
"Jack."
She nodded as she released his hand and hefted a bow onto her back. "Welcome to the forest, Jack."
"I've been in the woods for a couple of years now."
The smirk she shot him made him realize that though she looked innocent, there was a mischievousness within her that made him want to hide his meager belongings. "But you haven't been here before, and this is where all the fun is," she told him.
"Aria, be good." David stepped forward and rested his hand on her bony shoulder. "You don't want to scare him off before he gets to know everyone else."
She shrugged but love radiated in her gaze as she tilted her head to look up at David. "William is the one that scares everyone off."
"Sure he is. Go on now, William is looking for you. He's going on a hunting trip with Max."
"Ok dad." She squeezed David's hand before darting away with the grace of a cat. Jack frowned as David watched her go with a look of adoration that he'd never seen on his father's face, and never would. David turned back to him. "The twins are a handful but they mean well."
Jack nodded and adjusted his grip on the new clothes in his arms. He hadn't been living in the lap of luxury these past two years, but he'd at least had a roof over his head and a cot to lie on. Looking through the trees he spotted scattered beds made out of leaves, worn blankets, and rolled up clothes being used for pillows. He caught a glimpse of Aria making her way through the woods with a redhead that he assumed was her brother William, and a slender blond boy that must be Max.
"I'm sure they do," Jack assured him.
"Maybe one day, if we're successful, I'll be able to give my children a better life. The life that they deserve." Jack didn't know how to respond to that so he remained silent. "We have even less here than what you're used to, but there are nearby caves that we also use for shelter. In the spring and fall we tend to spend more time outside, but a lot of our supplies are stashed within the caves. I'll show them to you at some point. Daniel has a talent for designing traps and latches that is ingenious, and keeps our supplies protected."
Jack's ears pricked at the mention of the caves and supplies stashed within them, but even as he thought of those supplies his gaze landed upon the people gathered by a small river trickling through the encampment. They had so little and yet they were laughing as they washed their clothes and hung them from the tree branches.
"There are no fires above ground; we can't attract the attention of the troops that patrol the woods. All the cooking is done within the caves too," David continued.
Daniel was waiting for them by a cluster of trees. He spoke as he turned to walk through the woods. "There's an area back here that's not as crowded, but if you would prefer something else I'm sure we could find it for you."
Daniel pointed to a pile that had been created out of leaves and blankets. Jack stared at it as he finally realized that this was where he was supposed to sleep from now on. There was no privacy, no roof. There was nothing but the trees above for protection from the elements.
What have I gotten myself into?
He thought
.
But even as the thought crossed his mind, he felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. There was nothing here, there were no expectations, there was no one to hate him and try to destroy him mentally now that he was too old for fists. There was no Caleb or Braith to live in the shadow of. There was simply him and he could be anything he aspired to be here. He could almost even be one of these rebels, for now. He'd have to return to the palace one day, but it would be his choice when he went back and as he stood there he realized it wasn't going to be anytime soon.
There was still much to learn about the rebel forces after all, or at least that was what he told himself, and what he would tell his father when he returned.
"This will be fine," he assured Daniel.
"Unless you become known with the king's soldiers you can still move in and out with the outer rebel units, you can also return to the homes whenever you would like," David told him. "If you're ever spotted or recognized though, you can't return to the outer units. We have a few people here that are unable to move back and forth because they'll be recognized. If you're careful it shouldn't be a problem. Even I
am still able to move through the outer towns and I've been doing this my entire life."
"I understand," Jack assured him.
"We'll let you get settled and take a look around the camp."
Jack nodded and watched the father and son walk away with their heads bent close together before turning his attention to his new surroundings. He could see his fingers through the flimsy brown material as he ran them under the inside of the cloth. He'd never owned clothes so thin and so poorly constructed before, but he had earned these clothes. They were the first things in his life that he'd ever truly merited and he was strangely proud of that fact as he placed them on his crudely constructed bed. For the first time in years, he was actually happy as he looked around the woods.
The material slipped from Jack's hand as the sound of a bell ringing pulled him from the memory. He blinked at the shadowy interior of the store, briefly disoriented by his surroundings. Recognition and clarity filled him when the smell of apple blossoms penetrated through the scents of cloth, molasses, oat, and the coppery tang of human blood to catch his attention. Stepping away from the rack of clothes, he found her instantly within the dark store. She was an enticing beacon of light that drew him as surely as the apple blossom scent that she emitted.
There were those that had seen ghosts that didn't look as startled as she did to see him. The small gasp that escaped her drew his attention to her full mouth. An entirely kissable mouth, he decided as a possessive urge he'd never felt before swelled like the rising tide within him. His fangs pricked as her aroma became even more heightened in the air.
Hannah knew how a lamb felt when confronted with a mountain lion. Though she tried, she couldn't force her gaze away from his as he observed her from the shadows. There seemed to be some sort of inner glow within the pewter colored eyes focused upon her. For the first time in her life she found herself thinking that she should have worn a better dress or done
something
with her hair other than brushing it. She fought against the urge to play with the high collar of the plain blue dress. She was uncomfortably aware of the fact that a few areas on the lower part of her skirt had become nearly see through over the years.
The store around her seemed to fade away as every molecule within her became focused on him. In that instant she craved nothing more than to be the shadows sliding over his body as he rested his arm on the rack and leisurely leaned against it. Her fingers curled into her skirt as the longing to touch him began to take her over.
She didn't understand why he was staring at
her
like that though. He was a prince; she was a simple vampire, and a flawed one at that. Hannah wasn't oblivious to the fact that others thought she was beautiful; Calvin had started making that excessively clear when she'd reached maturity. She was certain this man had seen many beautiful women over the years though, and they probably hadn't worked in a tavern, in a town that most didn't even know existed.
"Hannah! It's so good to see you." She reluctantly tore her attention away from Jack as Kara stepped out from behind the front counter. Hannah had become so focused on Jack when she'd entered that she hadn't even noticed William leaning against the counter by Kara. "I have those shoes for you," Kara continued.
Hannah managed a smile as she forced herself not to look at the predator to the left of her again. She knew that's exactly what he was too, a predator, and for some reason he was hunting her. The distant tick of the clock from the back of the store sounded as loud as hoof beats in her ears as Kara went to retrieve the shoes Hannah had brought in for repair last week.
Unable to resist anymore, her eyes slid toward Jack as he stepped away from the rack. It didn't make her feel any better that she gulped while a smile tugged at the corners of his thick upper lip. Heat crept through her body everywhere that his eyes touched upon. She'd never thought it was possible to feel this excited and uncertain of someone as his gaze came back to hers.
"Here you go." She almost jumped out of her skin when Kara thrust her shoes at her. She'd been so focused on
him
that she hadn't realized Kara had returned.
Her fingers were stiff as she took hold of the shoes. "Thank you. How much do I owe you?"
"I'll take a dinner tonight for me and mom."
Hannah smiled and nodded. "That can certainly be done."
She rigidly turned away from Jack and hurried toward the front door. She was eager to escape the suddenly cramped store. The crisp air was refreshing against her overheated skin as she stepped onto the sidewalk and hurried away. Things were going to start picking up at the tavern soon and she would be needed to help, but she still had one more stop to make before she returned.
A jolt, like the one she got from rubbing her feet on a carpet and then touching something metal, went through her as a warm hand slid around her elbow. She didn't have to see him to know who was touching her. Her body instinctively reacted to his and though she'd had no thoughts of doing so she found herself swaying toward him.
He gave her a crooked grin that revealed an endearing dimple in his right cheek as she tilted her head back to look at him. "I thought I'd walk back with you."
The words were spoken in a gravelly tone of voice that made her belly feel as if it had a dozen hummingbirds flitting around in it. What was wrong with her? She'd been around plenty of men in her life; she'd grown up in a
tavern
for crying out loud. She'd even seen men as good looking as he was, or almost as good looking anyway. Calvin was exceptionally handsome too in a prettier kind of way, but none of them had ever had
this
kind of an effect on her.
"I'm not going back right now," she informed him.
"I'll keep you company then, if you don't mind."
How could anyone mind when he had his head cocked in that playful way? "No, not at all. Thank you for your help this morning."
"I'm in town to make sure things are being run the way they should be now that Braith is in charge," he replied as if it was completely normal to drop the king's given name like that, but she supposed to him it was.
He didn't release her elbow as he stepped off the sidewalk with her. In fact, his fingers slid over her flesh and caressed her in a way that made the cool air suddenly feel as if it was fire against her skin. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at him to see if he felt anywhere near as unsettled by her as she felt by him. He remained focused on the large brick building with the dome top that she was heading for. She'd been told that at one time the dome had been the color of gold, and gleamed even at night, but age and the weather had turned it a dingy color that was somewhere between brown and a mossy green.
Ever since she was a little girl, she'd had the urge to climb up there and clean the dome to reveal what was underneath, but she'd grown to realize that just like with other things in life, sometimes what was underneath wasn't worth revealing. She wondered if that was true about him as she watched the prince at her side. His outside was flawless but what was inside? Had power twisted and corrupted him in the same way that it had twisted and corrupted Calvin? Or had Calvin always been twisted on the inside?
She was embarrassed to be caught staring when he glanced at her but she didn't look away. She searched his gaze but she didn't see anything malicious or suspicious there, not like what she saw within Calvin's eyes when he looked at her or at
anyone
. No, looking into Jack's eyes she saw only warmth and compassion and a place where she could get lost for hours.
"Careful."
She didn't know what he was talking about until her foot hit something; he grabbed hold of her and stopped her from face planting onto the steps. Heat spread up her cheeks as she straightened her dress and focused on the brick building they had always used for humans and vampires to meet and feed. Though donation centers were now established throughout the land, thanks to the reign of the new king, the town of Chippman had always had something similar to them. The vampires here knew what it was like to be shunned and abused so most of them had never owned a blood slave. Some though, like Calvin, had enjoyed participating in the now abolished practice.
"Thank you," she murmured as she climbed the rest of the steps with him.
There was no line outside the door, the one good thing about coming at night to visit the blood bank. The corded muscles in Jack's forearm bunched beneath her hand as he stepped onto the landing with her. "How do you like having the donation center?" he asked.
"We've always had the blood bank," she told him. "The humans in this town were never as oppressed as they were in other towns."
"Why is that?"
"Because when you know what it feels like to be hunted and persecuted you don't often like to return the favor on other living creatures."
He frowned at her as he stopped before the large wooden door of the bank. His hand rested on the brass handle, keeping it closed on her. "And you know what it feels like to be persecuted?"
"No, not me. I'm too young for that and I was born here."
"And just how old are you?" he asked.
"Twenty three." He quirked an eyebrow at her answer. "You?"
"Much older," he confirmed.
"How much older?"
"Nine hundred and nine years older than you to be exact."
She couldn't stop her mouth from dropping as he continued to give her that roguish grin that she was certain had melted a
lot
of hearts over nine hundred and thirty two years of living. He chuckled as he placed his finger under her chin and nudged her mouth closed. "You haven't heard a lot about my family?" he asked.
"I've heard some. I know that you are of the most ancient line and it's rumored the new king married a human."
"He did, but she's not human anymore."
"She survived the transformation?" Hannah blurted.
His finger stroked her chin before he dropped it away. She missed the contact with him immediately. "She did."
"Amazing."
She'd never witnessed a transformation herself but she'd heard they were vicious and that most humans didn't survive it. "It's believed that Aria and her brothers have vampire DNA within them. I know the three of them were always a little faster, more attuned to their surroundings, and more graceful than most humans. William might be the fastest human I've ever seen when he's running."
He just kept the bombshells rolling. "William is the queen's brother?"
"Twin actually."
She shook her head. "I really wish I'd known you guys were going to be staying at our place," she muttered. They'd always kept a clean establishment but it could use a fresh coat of paint.
He let out a low laugh. "Your tavern is very pleasant and the bed was comfy. Believe me we've stayed in far worse before."
It wasn't overly comforting but it was something. "Do you plan on returning to the palace soon?"
The smile slid from his face. "Maybe one day, but not anytime soon."
He didn't belong here, she was certain of that much, but there was something that completely fascinated her about him. "Do you plan to stay here for awhile?"
He shrugged. "For as long as I think we're needed." It wasn't the response she'd been hoping to hear, but then she didn't know what response she'd been expecting from him. "So why were the older vampires here persecuted?" he inquired.
Her hand fluttered to her forehead as she realized that he didn't know the history behind this town. For a minute she contemplated not telling him about the residents of Chippman. She wanted so badly to continue to seem normal to him, if only for another night. Lying about it would accomplish nothing though, it would only make him distrust her when he found out the truth, and it was only a matter of time before he did.
"Most vampires here are Undesirables," she informed him.
His forehead furrowed over the bridge of his nose as he stared at her. "Undesirables?"
"They have flawed DNA. There's something wrong with almost every vampire here."
"Like Saul," he muttered. "But Saul was never persecuted."
"I don't know who Saul is but if he managed to escape being persecuted then he's a lucky man."
Jack's fingers briefly stroked her arm. She didn't think he even realized that he was doing it as he looked around the town. "Saul was an aristocrat before they all relinquished their titles and became The Council. He didn't stop aging until he was in his fifties. I didn't realize that there were so many vampires with the same DNA fault."
"Not everyone here has the same
fault
as this Saul or my Uncle Abe; there are other changes that have occurred within the vampires here.
Normal
vampires didn't like the oddities amongst them and made this point known. My father and Uncle Abe were siblings. Their parents, who were also Undesirables, had heard about a town established as a safe haven for vampires like them and came here. My mother and Lucas's mother were also siblings and were both born here. Saul was apparently lucky enough to have a powerful family to protect him."
His gaze sharpened on her, her stomach began to twist as she braced herself for what she knew was the inevitable next question. Thankfully Ellen came strolling down the sidewalk and bounded up the steps. "You're still here!" Ellen said eagerly. "I thought I was going to miss you."
Ellen's deep brown eyes flitted between the two of them before focusing on his hand lying on Hannah's arm. She shot Hannah a look that clearly asked 'what the...?' Hannah didn't have an answer for her though. "Are you going in?" Ellen inquired.
"Of course," Hannah gushed out, unbelievably grateful for the distraction that Ellen's appearance had offered from Jack's line of questioning.
Jack pulled open the door and stepped into the candlelit main foyer of the blood bank. The lanterns hanging within the dome illuminated the mural of mountains and rivers painted within the curved top. A forty foot long red carpet stretched across the gleaming hardwood floor toward the massive reception desk. The desk was set in between two halls that stretched into the shadows beyond, one hall led to the rooms full of humans that were offering their blood. She'd heard rumors about what went on in
those
rooms but she'd never been in one and she never would go in them. The other hall led to a large room that had been set up with bags of blood.
The woman sitting behind the desk looked up at them and waved in greeting. She was starting to look down again when her eyes shot up and focused on Jack. Hannah could smell the lust that rolled off the woman as she broke into an inviting smile that set Hannah's teeth on edge. Something menacing slithered through her and it took her a moment to realize that the green eyed monster was rearing its ugly head. It was a feeling she'd never experienced before.