Virgins and Vampires: Blood Falls (The Blood Falls Book 3)

“My goodness child. Where are you?” My mother sat across from me at the breakfast table perfectly dressed for the day, as she always was.

I, however, had another rough night and was still in my pajamas, hadn’t brushed my hair, and could barely keep my thoughts in a straight line.

They all kept wandering back to Kris and the quiet forest.

“Didn’t sleep well.” I tried to shrug off her questions even though I knew it was futile.

Malynda Gatlin was tall, poised, and proper. She always had her curly auburn hair styled to perfection, her clothes stylish but old fashioned—always a skirt—perfect nails, brows, and teeth. Today she wore a black and bronze colored dress with long sleeves and a long skirt. And she did not look happy that I was a heaping mess.

“You’re spending too much time at the Wrens.”

I blew out a stream of air that moved my hair off my forehead. “It’s kind of important, Mom.” Like, saving our lives important, not that she could be bothered to entertain such a dismal possibility. Not when there were teas to plan and parties to attend.

“I know it’s important, but perhaps you can do more of your reading in your room. Where it’s safe.”

And there it was. “I can’t live my entire life in my room.” I often felt more at home at the Wrens than I did here, cooped up in my ivory tower, all important and miserable. My parents treated me like a child. They spent so many decades trying to protect me that they didn’t seem to be able to stop.

Or at least slow down. I was still fragile glass to them.

My grandparents were no different. My every need was met. I wanted for nothing. I just couldn’t leave the house or do anything fun.

The last few weeks working with the Wrens, being allowed to go to the North, were the most exciting of my life. But I was only allowed the adventure because I was valuable. To my family I was precious, to the House I was their most valuable asset. So for my entire life I was either sheltered or used.

Blood Falls was my first taste of freedom. The Wrens didn’t treat me like glass. They didn’t use me. They respected me. No wonder I rushed there so quickly each day. It wasn’t just because I had my first crush, although that was a nice bonus.

I realized my mother was studying me. I ducked my head to hide my blush of embarrassment.

“What are you thinking so hard about?” She set her fork aside and put her full attention on me.

I was so screwed. “I have the histories of three Houses in my head. I’m about to add two more.”

She saw right through me. “Is it Bridghet and Cassandrha? Are they luring you away from us?”

“What does that even mean?” I sighed, pushing my plate away half eaten. I had no appetite to go along with my sleeplessness.

Jealousy flashed through her eyes as fast as she blinked it away, turning her face to stone. “You’ve always preferred to spend your free time with them instead of your cousins. And now you’re spending every moment of the day with them. It’s only a matter of time before you’re asking to move out.”

Since I knew she spoke from a place of fear I let her ridiculous thoughts slide. “I’m not spending every moment of the day with them. You make it sound like we’re watching movies and taking tea all day. I’m in the library with a dozen members of the Houses working until I’m exhausted. Then I come home tired but so amped up from all the working that I can’t sleep. That’s it.” I pushed up from my seat. “Besides, my room is here. I can never live anywhere else, or did you forget that part?”

I heard my mother’s growl of frustration as I stepped into the hall. Her voice echoed off the walls as she called after me. “I’m sorry!”

Yeah well, guess we’re never too old for a good old-fashioned mother-daughter spat.

A fresh snow fell overnight. I dressed in layers so I could still take a quick pit stop at the falls. They glowed orange in the mornings which was even prettier when everything was covered in white powder. The low rumble of the water helped me shake off the last of my grumpiness from breakfast.

I let myself enjoy the freedom. No, I wasn’t a prisoner, but sometimes it felt that way. In a few minutes I would walk into the Wrens’ house and be treated like I was normal. I got the same attitude, gratitude, pushback, and respect as anyone else. My friends cared about me, but they trusted me to take care of myself.

And Kris…well I wasn’t quite sure what that was yet, but it was exciting and new and, while he was careful with me, he didn’t treat me like my family treated me.

My mind wandered back to our excursion. To kissing Kris. The quiet. And then…I shuddered as I remembered him wrapping my palm around his erection. Talk about whoa. It was such a normal thing. To touch and be touched. But I wasn’t normal so the whole thing rocked my world.

Yes, I knew males were large. I knew everything about the whole process. Technically. I did a lot of reading. There were special sexual gifts for each House. And even within those Houses there was variety. Some could change the size and shape of their body parts, some had more than one cock, some had very differently shaped cocks, and there were even some who had a spirit double—and both of them could have sexual intercourse at the same time.

But reading about these things was very different from experiencing them. Touching Kris was the closest I ever got to real. And he was very real. And large.

I was a little terrified.

Which must have shown on my face because when I walked up the House of Wren, Gigi and Rhysa stopped me in my tracks. The best friends sat on the porch next to a fire pit holding steaming mugs of coffee. They had blankets wrapped around them and knit hats on their heads.

“Are you okay?” Gigi, blonde and bubbly, was five years older than the twins.

Rhysa frowned with concern. “You don’t look so good.” Rhysa was technically the heir to the House of Axl, but they were in tatters after the battle and since Rhysa was only recently Awakened and knew very little about the House, she handed over the recovery. Besides, she was mated to Dray and seemed to prefer spending her time with him and her best friend.

“I didn’t sleep great,” I lied.

They didn’t believe me. Gigi shook her head. “Looks like more than a bad night of sleep to me. What do you think, Rhysa?”

“A frown like that? My guess is she either had a fight with the twins or she has male problems.”

“I’m not fighting with the twins and who says I’m attracted to males?”

Gigi tried to hide her laugh. “She’s got you there. Although I’ve heard it’s the new standard at the House of Gatlin to live in polyamorous family groups. Maybe she likes loving everyone.” Then she batted her eyelashes at Rhysa.

Rhysa rolled her eyes. “Look, I’m learning. It’s hard to shed a lifetime of human conventions in a few months.”

“Well?” Gigi prompted.

“There are two polyamorous family groups within the House now. You’re thinking of House of Argo. They’ve moved almost entirely to polyam families.”

“I can’t picture that grump Ronan with more than one lover. I doubt even one can stand him,” Gigi said.

Rhysa shook her head. “There’s someone—or someones—for everyone. Now, answer the question, missy.”

Gigi’s eyes popped. “Missy? Rhysa is both incredibly young and, somehow, incredibly old.”

Then they both stared up at me. These females were the twins’ family. I knew Gigi almost as well as I knew Bridge and Cass. And maybe that little bit of distance was a good thing because I didn’t think I could talk to my friends. And I needed someone to talk to. I brushed some snow off the seat opposite them and sat down.

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Gigi asked.

Being powerful was who I was. Knowing everything was something I took great pride in. Being stuck in a magical room for most of my life pushed me into a love of learning about the world I wasn’t part of. I read everything.

But this? This I didn’t know and I didn’t know how to function.

“I’ve never…”

Gigi blinked at me for so long I started to wonder if I’d frozen her mind without realizing it. Then, “At all? Ever?”

I shook my head. “But…I’ve been getting close to someone. And I don’t know what to do. I’m kind of terrified.”

“Oh no. No, no, no, no!” Gigi threw off the blankets and came to sit beside me. She took my hands in hers. “It’s not scary at all! It’s wonderful!”

“It really is.” Rhysa agreed.

“Just go slow. As you get used to things you’ll learn what you like and what you don’t.”

“I—I’ve read a lot. The males…they seem scary.”

Gigi shook her head. “It’s part of the fun, really. Will it fit? Where will it fit? How long will they last? Once the lust hits it’s just all mind and body games until you’re exhausted. And then it’s the most wonderful exhaustion ever.”

Well I liked the sound of that.

“Seriously,” Rhysa nodded along. “And you’ll learn pretty quickly what your preferences are. They come out of you whether you want them to or not.” She shrugged as if saying I am who I am even if I didn’t know that’s who I was.

And that was fascinating.

Who was Rhiannon in a lust fog? I had no idea. I’d never met her.

But I was very excited to meet her very, very soon.