The Gift.

19

"Esme's family abused her, and so her village did the same. The elders paid her parents for Esme to take her sister's place, as was told you earlier. When they came to the glade they disowned Esme and refused to allow her to even keep the name they gave her. All they said was that she had to stay there for the monsters to take her so that all the villages wouldn't be destroyed." By now all the brother's were clenching and unclenching their teeth.

Even the wolves were doing the same. 

This has the king intrigued. The human had made quite an impression on them all. He pays very close attention to the story when Jesse finally manages to continue.

"At first I had planned on killing her, but found myself talking to her first. As she told me her story I knew that I couldn't kill her. The desire to kill her had switched to her parents. I felt a fierce need to protect her.

"When I offered to take her home she became panicked and refused. She told me that she had to stay until the monsters came for her so that the the villagers would be protected. That's when I knew that the villagers thought the child would be acceptable as the sacrifice. I also knew then that I would never hurt Esme.

"I explained that she wasn't the sacrifice. She was even more scared then. Not for herself, but for the people of the villages. I had to promise her that the other villages wouldn't be harmed and only some of the people in her village would be harmed. That's when she finally relaxed and allowed us to place our claiming marks on her.

"On our way back home we ran into the alpha and he promised Areon here to be a body guard to Esme. He also offered to help us with the human village. In exchange we offered him the females we were taking back as slaves once they had four children for us. 

"We ended up giving them a few of the females that night and a few of the males as well.

"We got there shortly after the wedding of her sister. We crashed the party. We made sure that the village knew that the chosen sacrifice was unacceptable. At least one of them was horrified that they sent a nine year old child."

Jesse sneers at the memory of that night. "We separated those that were to be brought back and that's when we found out that the elders had ensured that there would be no acceptable sacrifice. We made sure that the village knew who to blame as we tore apart families.

"The wolves brought back those we wanted and we killed those that needed to be killed. Leaving the rest to start their lives over. I'm happy to say that the village, although not thriving, is doing quite well. They are starting to build their numbers up. Some of the other villages had people move in and help out when they found they could take over the homes and land of those that were killed.

"I had left Esme home with Areon to care for her while we were gone. For seven years he took excellent care of Esme. Nearly losing his life more than once saving hers.

"Then about a month ago it was forcibly brought to my attention that Esme was growing up and would shortly need to start looking for a husband." Jesse's tone is still sour with the thought of Esme being with a human.

"I can see that that went over well with you." The king was more than a bit amused by this story. He didn't think that any one could take Jesse's hatred for humans away.

Jesse gives him a dirty look, "I was less than pleased by the idea. The only reason my study survive was because Esme came in and calmed me down.

"I ended up telling her how we became vampires." With those words Jesse looks at the king with a definite sly look and a smirk.

"Yes, it was an interesting tale. A rebellious son going to a party and becoming a vampire. Then ordered to kill his favorite brother. Intriguing." Esme gives the king her own hard look.

The king finds himself looking down in shame before he whips his head up in shock at what he'd just done. "How?"

Jesse just smirks at him.

It's Desanto that answers the king, "That is how we felt when we first saw her laying in a human ball sobbing in fear and terror. She made us want to care for her, protect her. It isn't anything that she does, it just happens."

"Any way," Jesse continues to finish this story, it's been a long day and he needs to rest and so does Esme. "About a month ago Esme felt the first feelings of desire when Santo kissed her. That was all it took to make us all..." the king nods his understanding.

"That night she accepted us all as her mates since we all loved her and none of us were willing to give up our claim to just one of us." Jesse finishes up and pulls Esme closer to him. He buries his nose into her neck and inhales her scent to help him calm down.

"Then two weeks ago he was summoned to go see you. He didn't get back in time for the sacrifice and so they brought the bitch home and you saw what happened." Esme finishes the story.

"He might of, Esme, but I don't know what happened." Areon tells her gently.

Esme holds back her tears so she can't tell him. The vampires are too ashamed of what they did.

"The sacrifice was a witch. She enspelled all the lords. They stopped feeding from her and they stopped talking to her or even be around her. When Lord Jesse returned home he too fell under the spell. The pain was too much for Esme. She wanted to come live with us. So she asked Lord Jesse to remove all her markings.

"He agreed. At first there wasn't a problem, but then she started screaming. By the time I reached her she was unconscious. I hit Lord Jesse to get him to stop what ever he was doing to remove the marks. She was nearly dead by the time I could get to her.

"It was about that time that the king arrived. It was because of him that the marks were regiven and when that wasn't enough it was him that urged Jesse to turn her. It took all four of them to drink enough of her blood to allow her to have the change." Benjamin tells his alpha when the others couldn't tell him what he wanted to know.

"It only took her an hour for the change to take place. I've never had any person take so little time for the turn. But then they've been preparing her for the last seven years. That and Jesse is  one of the most powerful vampires I've ever met younger than me." The king throws in his own words.

Areon smirks, "Figures, Esme, that you would set new records when becoming a vampire. But I have to say, it really doesn't surprise me any."

Esme looks at him worriedly, "You still love me?"

Her words act like a slap to Areon, "Of course I do, Esme. You are like a kid sister to me. How would you becoming a vampire change that?"

"Just like Jesse and the others hated humans, you hated vampires. You hid it well, especially when we were around them, but I could tell."

Now Esme has the attention of the vampires. "You could tell and we couldn't."

There words make Areon relax a bit. He was worried that the vampires might be planning something but their reactions prove that they didn't have a clue and so there would be no punishment. Well there wouldn't  have been, but there might be now.