Taken by a Vampire (Vampire Queen) - By Joey W. Hill Page 0,197

As such, only Miah and Nerida remained an enigma to her. She’d learned Mel and Frank were third-marked servants to both female vampires, though, and when she started seeing them together, the bond was obvious.

During one late supper, while the artists and residents chatted and women rocked children to sleep, she’d seen Mel with Nerida. The vampire was sitting on the woman’s lap, brushing and then braiding her thick, dark hair. When she was done with that, Nerida put her hands on Mel’s face, raining affectionate kisses on her mouth and cheeks, her temple.

Another night, close to the 3 a.m. hour, Alanna was bringing Evan some wine at the gazebo when her eye was caught by people on the dock. Mel, Nerida and Miah had been swimming, a unique thing to see because vampires had no buoyancy. However, all three were still wet, their dark hair sleek and dripping. Mel was stretched out on her back, her head in Miah’s lap. The woman was pointing out something in the stars while Miah played with her dark hair, tracing the thick braid across Mel’s breast. Nerida lay between their servant’s thighs, head pillowed on the Indian woman’s stomach, her arms curled over her hip, small fingers hooked in the belt loop of her wet cutoffs, listening to whatever story she was telling. Pausing to hear better, Alanna caught the singsong quality, as if Mel was chanting a poem.

After their wrestling match, Alanna had found herself meeting up with Mel more often. The growing bond was spurred in part because of their shared status as servants, but they also sparred once a day. Sometimes Mel used her to help demonstrate techniques to other women, but on one day when it was just the two of them, Alanna took the opportunity to find out more about her unique relationship with the two female vampires.

“Nerida and Miah . . . did you learn to fight from them?”

“No. My grandfather.” Taking a swig from a water bottle, Mel swiped at her sweaty forehead with her arm. They’d been working out in the open area behind the playground, and now she propped on a wooden snail. It was schooltime for the children, so they had the area to themselves. “He had one leg, but with that and a crutch, he could put me on my back in a heartbeat. Wily old goat. I taught Nerida and Miah, as did the founder of this place and his servant. They’re sponges. There’s nothing they won’t learn if it catches their interest. Pretty much anything that needs repair around here, they can jerry rig, but of course we all have other tasks, so unless it’s an emergency, it waits for its permanent fix until Niall gets here.” Mel grinned. “Where is he today?”

“He slept in this morning. I told Frank he’d catch up with him later to work on the plumbing at the admin cottage.” Alanna, looking toward the forest, took a sip from her own bottle. When Mel’s hand covered hers, she wasn’t easy enough with it yet to turn her hand and grip, but she did say what was in her head. “I don’t want to leave him when he’s like that. Evan has to order me to do it. I was afraid . . . but Evan told me he’d watch over him.”

Mel’s fingers tightened. “For all that they’re only here a few weeks a year, Niall’s presence is so large. I’m not sure what we’ll do without him. I worry about Evan without him, too.”

Alanna discovered her fingers had tangled with the woman’s, were squeezing them tightly. They sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the birds in the forest, the wind moving through the trees.

“I just figured you’d finally worn him out for a change.” Nudging her with her hip, Mel pushed back the somber look Alanna knew reflected her own. “I’ve seen the mornings where you can barely walk, because the two of them have used you so hard.”

“They are very . . . attentive,” Alanna admitted.

Mel snorted. “The prissy ladylike way of saying they fuck you blind, girl. And who needs sight that badly?”

“So,” Alanna said, clearing her throat. “Do you spar with them? Nerida and Miah?”

“Yeah. Like wrestling a pair of ferrets. They keep me on my toes. And regularly kick my ass, of course.” She lowered her voice, despite the fact they were well away from any listening ears. Human ones, that is. “Though with vampires, that can