Inkitt,com
Inkitt.com
Category:
Fantasy
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Elite Warrior, Edwin Aldemeer and his lovely new mistress, Althea Adams, find a human infant that has tragically been orphaned. Althea heard that the Animal Shelter takes in strays. Edwin...is more circumvent in his reaction.
Edwin Aldemeer is an enigma.
To society, he is an evil killer, a vampire...nothing more than a myth.
Maintaining that status over the centuries, protecting his species anonymity has been his purpose in life and one he’s performed admirably.
The Enforcer has everything he wants at present.
Althea Adams is what Edwin wants.
The young free-spirited fledgling now belongs to him, and is up for most things his creative mind can conjure, Edwin has discovered. Their union happens once in a lifetime, and theirs is endless.
Life is good. Life is finally complete. Or is it...
One fateful encounter with a human reporter sends The Enforcer’s life spiraling into chaos and danger.
The race he has pledged to protect, his future with Althea Adams.... and the life of an innocent infant hangs in the balance.
Excerpt
“What’s all the belly aching over here?” her hands grasped the edge of the desk, kneeling, for the Enforcer had put the baby on the wool rug that it might not roll off anything high in its sleep cycle.
Piles of soft blankets served as its mattress.
“I am assuming, you have soiled yourself again and/or are in need of sustenance. As is your way.” The green eyes observed the infant critically. “This isn’t brain surgery.” She felt inside the diaper. “Just as I thought. I will change your garment but you best not pee on me again. Friends don’t let other friends pee on them, is all I’m saying on the matter.”
She cut the baby a ‘you just better keep your word’ look.
Crossing to procure another diaper, the woman hastily switched the wet for dry. She cupped her hand over the tiny ‘weapon’ to insure, if the little cretin broke his word, she might still only get slightly drenched but there was no need.
She finished with a self-satisfied grin. “Not bad for a newbie, right?” she observed the finished product, nodding once. “Now, I am imagining you wish food.” she held up a warning hand, “but then you must go back to sleep. It is five in the afternoon, therefore plenty of time to return to my own slumber. Do we have a deal?”
The baby only looked up at her with big blue eyes. He was holding his toes and gurgling softly.
“I do not understand your language.” the girl shook a woeful head. “How then, can we communicate?”
Edwin’s mouth pulled into a grin but his back was to the scene, so he felt safe reacting to the nonsensical exchange.
“Come with me. I will see what there is in the kitchen to eat.” she lifted the infant, padding barefoot across the textured rug out into the hardwood of the corridor floor. “I am very adept at improvising, so whatever we find, I will surely be able to supply you a wonderful meal. Much better than that stupid bottle of milk Edwin made you drink before.”
She shook a woeful head. “Males. They think they know it all.” Thea cast the baby a glance. The tiny profile was averted so many wondrous things taking its attention as she made their way through the mammoth mansion.
“A lot of rooms, yeah?” The female crinkled her nose. “I know. I haven’t even checked out most of them. Why anyone would need so many is beyond me. My dad has an even larger estate, of course.” The green eyes met blue. “I know...males, right? It’s the size of everything with them, apparently.”
Thea turned on lights as she went and by the time she reached the bottom floor of the house, she sighed heavily. “It wears me out just hitting the switches. Did you lose count? I did.”
She continued on to the kitchen which was in the West wing of the manor. “I sometimes get lost in this place but I don’t worry about it. There are doors everywhere. If I keep opening them, sooner or later one leads to a familiar area.”
The kitchen did not have a door however, so she breezed through the portal entrance. “I’m going to sit you here.” She put the baby on the floor. “You can’t fall and Edwin says that’s important. Even if you do fall, you’ll only fall over which can’t possibly be all that bad. It’s a good thing I’m doing.”
The female went about drawing pots and lids out of cupboards, humming to herself. She kept a running check on the kid, who was bouncing on his bottom, his arms in the air. Gurgles abounded and spittle ran down his chin.
“That is disgusting.” she went to wipe the area with a dishtowel. “Stop it.” she pulled a face. “Why would you do something so vile?”
The baby just continued the ritual.
Althea looked around for something to amuse it.
“Here.” she handed a wooded spoon which went directly to its mouth...and a plastic bowl. She took the spoon, hitting the bowl. “Make some noise. Wake Edwin, the bastard who is sleeping while I’m down here playing ‘Mary Poppins’.”
The bastard, Edwin...had followed the two down the stairs, a little interested to see how the female would handle this simple task he had assigned. He actually was more interested to see how Althea would react to the infant when alone with it.
He concealed himself behind the pantry door, where he had a perfect view of all going on in the kitchen area.
He waited patiently for sooner or later, he sensed, his presence would be required.
The baby dutifully began a rigorous banging of the bowl and spoon, accompanying itself with a constant drone of babbles and murmurings. Small bubbles formed on its tiny lips. It concentrated hard on its new toys.
Edwin watched Althea, his brow furrowing more so by the minute. He quickly sent off a text to someone he trusted.
In seconds, Lucas appeared at the side entrance to the kitchen, his intelligent eyes first, finding his hidden employer and secondly...taking in the unfolding scene about him. “...Mistress. May I help in any way?”
“Oh, Lucas.” Thea gave over a smile, emptying an entire package of noodles into a gigantic pot. “I’ve got this covered, actually. Are you on your rounds?” she inquired pleasantly, hefting the pot to the sink, filling it with water.
Lucas glanced to the baby. “May I inquire as to what you are doing?”
“I’m fixing it some food. Humans eat food.”
“...I am aware.” the young vampire’s brow furrowed slightly. “May I inquire...what exactly you are preparing?”
“It’s called spaghetti.” Althea visited lots of Italian restaurants when she was in Italy. Why, she had no idea, it just seemed to be the thing to do if one was a tourist. “Do we have a cow on the estate somewhere? Humans eat cows in this stuff.”
“Eh...” Lucas sought out...
Edwin shrugged massive shoulders.
“Actually, I think...at this stage? Babies only drink milk and eat some baby food. I was a human before my Master changed me and I had...some few years among them, you see.”
“I was a human too.” Althea was excited to find a kindred spirit. “I don’t think I had any siblings for surely I would remember them but, isn’t that a coincidence!”
“Eh...I can fix the baby some nourishment if you would like. It has no teeth as yet and ...” his dark eyes glanced to the pot of noodles and water.
Althea’s face fell. She too, looked to her handiwork. Which she held close to her chest, the water having sloshed on the front of her robe.
“There actually are several bottles of formula already prepared...in the refrigerator.” Lucas lifted a hand to the appliance.
She lifted sad eyes. “I was going to put this in the blender.”
“Yes...well, that was a wonderful idea but as I said, at this age? I believe it is acceptable to give a infant only milk and perhaps some applesauce?”
“Oh.” Althea was very put upon. “I didn’t know there were so many rules attached to that thing.”
She wasn’t happy with the baby who was oblivious to its surroundings, still very much attached to the bowl and spoon, it having taken to hitting the sides of the cabinets now in a very animated manner.
An idea occurred. “Oh, Lucas.” the female’s smile now was sugary sweet. “I don’t suppose you could take over the handling of this precious little...thing for a while?”
Edwin shook a noble head, his expression saying...no way, should Lucas do any such thing.
“Eh...I have my rounds, Mistress. The Master might take objections to me shirking my duty. But, I can heat the bottle for you, if you would like.”
“No, but...if you could show me how?” Thea pushed aside her disappointment for the con not having taken affect.
Minutes later, the female approached the baby, holding out the freshly warmed milk. “Here.”
It stopped its banging long enough to glance her way then returned with a new fervor to its pastime.
“One should hold the infant in one’s arms then...allow it to take the nipple into its mouth. It will instinctively know what next to do.” Lucas was a ‘God-send’ in this instance.
“Oh.” Althea picked the baby up, seating herself in a convenient chair. The eager little hands caught hold of the bottle, bringing it to its tiny mouth, suckling hungrily.
The female allowed her surprise. “He sure does know what to do with it. You are so smart, Lucas. Thank you for helping me out.”
“Anytime, Mistress.”
“I changed it all by myself.” Althea was proud of her accomplishments. “Upstairs when Edwin refused to get up and take care of this poor, unfortunate little tyke. I immediately stepped up to help.”
The baby slurped noisily, its tiny fingers twirling the blonde curls on its head lazily about.
“How noble, Mistress.”
“Yes, I am very noble, indeed.” Again, Althea was well pleased that someone around here, at least, acknowledged her virtues. “Thank you for noticing, Lucas.”
She looked the young vampire up and down. “I trust Edwin is aware of how very trustworthy and important you are in his dastardly organization? If not, I shall certainly mention it to him.”
“How very kind of you, Mistress.” Lucas bowed ever so minutely. “If there is nothing else?”
“Oh, no. I can manage.” Thea watched the baby absently then something came to mind. “Is the one bottle enough?”
“Yes, it should suffice. Baby’s will eat every three or four hours, on the norm.”
“My god...this little thing puts away that much food?”
“It is only an eight ounce bottle, Mistress.” Lucas pointed out.
Thea tried to take the bottle that she could ascertain the ‘ounces’ but the baby held firm. “Well, I shall have to take your word.” the female frowned down to the infant. “Oh, and I noted...before. Edwin put it on his shoulder and hit it on the back.”
“To rid the stomach of access gas.” Lucas nodded, his eyes gentle on the alarmed woman.
“It is alright to strike the child?”
“Gently pat.”
“Oh.”
Lucas once again, bowed respectfully, taking his leave.
“Lucas...”
He turned, attentively. “Mistress?”
“Why is there food in the pantry?”
“...For the staff, Mistress. The estate is far from town. The Master provides meals for the cleaners and those that tend the grounds.”
Althea smiled politely. “I knew that.”
“Of course, Mistress. I will be about my business then.”
The female vampire watched him go. “...What a nice young man.” she shared her thoughts with the baby, glancing to its serene face. “You were hungry.”
The soft sucking sounds continued. “You are not an unattractive child, thank god.” Thea was noting the tiny hands and feet...the perfect face with the large blue eyes that stared at her so intently. “I should hate it if you were. But, as infants go, you are...acceptable, I suppose.”
The silence came and went and Edwin knew, it grated on Althea’s nerves. She hated silences.
“I suppose I was once an infant but who recalls such things. We really have no common ground, do we. Oh...do you like shoes?”
The baby only stared and slurped.
“It just occurred to me. You and I actually do have something in common. We are both orphans.” the female seemed to take heart. “My father was murdered by a vampire just as yours. I was much older, of course but I do remember being terribly...frightened and feeling ever so alone.”
Althea’s face softened. “Is that how you are feeling?”
The silence was not so uncomfortable suddenly. “Even when Marcus came to me to explain and...show me how to cope, the feelings did not subside. He sent for Genevieve. She made it all better.” the vampire’s face softened considerably. “She is my sister. And I love her, terribly.”
Her mouth pulled into a smile. “I shall be your sister. I shall help you not be afraid. I will see this time is not so horrible to remember back on when you are older.”
Althea put the baby on her shoulder experimentally patting the warm little back.
Edwin’s brow furrowed. What was so horrible she remembered, he wondered. Perhaps he could speak to Marcus about the issue. The female had never even mentioned anything traumatic associated with her ‘turning’.
Althea returned the bottle to the baby as it had burped successfully. “That was not so hard.” she decided. “I am very good with infants, apparently.” she smiled contentedly. “But remember our bargain. It is late, at least for me. You must allow me to rest a little before we address the issue of returning you to your rightful owners. You did agree to that.”
She hummed softly, a song Edwin had never heard.
The baby cooed and cuddled, those inquisitive eyes always on Althea’s lovely face.
“Genevieve used to sing that to me, when it stormed and I was huddled in the closet, she would come to me. And stay with me. And sing that song. It is very comforting, is it not.”
Althea allowed the baby to grab hold of her long tresses, for the tiny fist opened and closed systematically on the golden curls. “Storms bring it back. Marcus turned me on a dark and stormy night. It is not so much that, however but the fact, I saw him kill my father. I did not recall the incident for a very long time, of course. Nor was I aware why I feared storms so very much.”
Thea’s tone was conversational and without infliction but Edwin felt the sadness and despair behind the carefully neutral tone.
“Isn’t the mind a funny thing.” the young vampire shook a woeful head, rising with her charge in tow.
She walked the path that would lead them back to the master bedroom and hopefully, some sleep. “I am so much better off with Marcus than I would have been with my human father. Whom I hated, in reality.” Thea glanced down to the infant. “I hope you didn’t hate your father. He was an idiot, to be sure but...I do not cast aspersions otherwise. I didn’t even know him.”
Thea climbed the stairs, her thoughts troubled ones. “I know we can find your mother and soon you will be safely returned to your people. Do not worry. Edwin is a good, decent being, for the most part and he will see to your welfare, trust me.”
“He will take care of you, just as he does me.” Althea smiled down to the tiny face. “He is very hard to get to know but once you do? He is not at all as he seems at first meeting.”
“Now, it is as I said. I will return you to your bed and I shall return to mine. Then, we will take you back to your home. All safe and sound again.” She whispered for they were nearing the room.
Edwin moved much faster than normal vampires, having mastered the art of shift changing long ago. Within the art, there was a portal which led to many wondrous places but also, many dark, forbidding ones.
Edwin had visited them all in his many years of existence.
Some he enjoyed, others he stirred clear of, never wishing to enter the heinous existence again, if at all possible.
He could now safely traverse such planes, melding his life form with the Universe’s secret intricacies at will.
Many Ancients knew of such realms. He was not unique in that area, not at all.
So, when Althea entered the master bedroom, the being was in his usual place, feigning sleep, still cuddled to her pillow. But his thoughts were a bit troubled for his young mate, truth told.
Althea was such a private soul. Never sharing much, although of late, she was sharing more and more of her physical state with him.
Just not the mental anguish he sensed ran deep within the female's make-up.
Althea put her index finger to her pursed lips indicating the baby should be very quiet. She lay the infant between the sleeping male and herself, whispering her plan. “You may lie here if you are very quiet. Now, close your eyes. I shall rub your back and then...you will fall asleep, yes?”
She cautioned, pointing to Edwin. “He will put you back in that awful pillow prison if you do not allow him rest. I know how his mind works. Do not cross him.”
The baby settled back against Edwin’s back, sighing heavily. Then turned on its stomach as Althea, true to her word, began rubbing small, gentle motions on its small back.
In seconds, the infant slept.
In minutes...Althea Adams did the same.
The Enforcer could not find that illusive state for his mind was full of questions and vague inklings where his new mate was concerned.
He turned carefully over, his gaze resting on the two individuals sharing his bed. Althea was curled up much like the baby, pulled into a fetal position, much like...the baby. Her small hands tucked beneath her chin, her head bowed, the golden fluff of her hair spread about that angelic face.
Edwin reached, gently removing some wayward strands, his eyes softening.
He glanced to the infant, his mouth pulling into a smile. It snored gently.
The being lay back, sighing lightly, staring at the motif on the sculptured ceiling above him.
He pondered...and planned.
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