Page 24 of Bound by Vengeance
“True,” he admitted. “Continue with what youwere saying.”
“Anyway,” Vicky said. “Joseph has managed toelude so many for so long. He’s growing an army of Savages andstashing them in places no one can find. Except for Kadence, withthat one vision or whatever she had of the warehouse location.”
“She told you about that?”
“Yeah. We’ve been living on the sameproperty since January, and there aren’t many girls there, so wetalk. She said the location of the warehouse came to her in flashesand she still occasionally gets those kind of flashes, but mosttimes they’re too fast for her to decipher.”
“She tries to hide it, but it’s hard on herthat she can’t always figure them out.”
“She’ll handle it until the day she learnshow to control whatever ability she has. For someone who wasrepressed her entire life, she’s a tough chick.”
“You think she was repressed?”
“Don’t you?” Vicky retorted. “I’m aware allyou hunters like your women virginal and dressed like pilgrims.They don’t get out in the world, barely have access to TVs, anddon’t know computers. Talk about a step back to the Dark Ages, ordid the hunter traditions never leave the Dark Ages?”
“Our traditions aren’t stuck in the DarkAges, and the women are not repressed,” Nathan grated from betweenhis teeth. They lived a far more old-fashioned way of life thanmost, especially at this time in history, but he wouldn’t considerthe female huntersrepressed.
“Then what are they?” Vicky inquired.
“I admit our way is outdated, but we’reworking on educating the women more. They’re receiving weaponstraining and learning fighting techniques in case one of themhappens to get out again, like Kadence.”
“Now you make them sound like zoo animalslocked in cages.”
“I can’t change everything at once!” Thewhiplash of his voice startled him. Typically, it took a lot toruffle him, but this woman had a way of getting under his skin ineveryway.
Vicky’s eyes widened then narrowed at him.Nathan took a calming breath before speaking again as she lookedready to claw his eyes out, and the last thing he wanted was tofight with her.
“During the short time I’ve been leader, mytwin escaped the stronghold and became a vampire, we moved from aplace we were planning to stay at for hundreds of years, the womenare being taught more and learning to fight, and we’re working withvampires. If I keep shoving changes down the throats of people whohaven’t experienced any changes in their society for centuries,they’ll oust me, or they’ll kill me.”
“They wouldn’t do either!” she gasped. “Yourfamily has always ruled!”
“They would,” he assured her. “If they thinkit’s best for them, and necessary to preserve our ways, they’llhave someone else take over rule until I produce an heir, orthey’ll kill me.”
“Kadence would hunt them down and destroythem!”
“I’d still be dead, and no, she wouldn’t.She knows as well as I do how important hunters are to the survivalof all our species. Not all vampires in existence hunt Savages.Everymale hunter is taught from birth how to fight and killvampires. I’d like to make it so one day the women fight too, butwith our low birthrates, I doubt that will ever happen. It might bethe death of our species if women are killed in battle as often asthe men. However, things will change for the women.”
Like their marriage choices. Nathanwould make it so one day men and women weren’t coerced intomarriage with someone chosen for them, but that change would cometoo late to save him.
“You have a lot on your shoulders, Nathan,”she murmured.
Vicky studied him in a new light. Before,he’d always been the one to avoidandthe one whose bonesshe often fantasized about jumping. Now, she saw him for a what hewas, a young man with the entire well-being of his species restingon his broad shoulders.
She didn’t want it to happen, but it madeher like and respect him more.
“No more than any of my ancestors,” hereplied.
“Your ancestors never possessed theknowledge that notallvampires are your enemy. They nevertried to change things for the women, and they never had to contendwith a Savage who is trying to build an army, like Joseph is.Kadence said you are the youngest hunter who has ever ruled.”
“Kadence talks too much.”
Vicky chuckled. “She’s proud of you.”
“I’m proud of her. She’s done what no otherhunter has ever succeeded in doing.”
“Become a vampire?” Vicky quipped.
A small smile curved his mouth. “That, andforged her own path in life.”
