Blood Challenge by Kit Tunstall Page A

apprehensive. Ellie took off her parka, looking at the other woman questioningly. “Is something wrong?”
    “No…” She trailed off into a sigh. “I don’t know. I guess I want to know how you feel about me now that you know what I am.”
    Ellie blinked. She had completely forgotten Davinia wasn’t human. Her mind had been too busy dwelling on other issues. She searched for a way to answer and saw the hurt in Davinia’s eyes grow in proportion to her silence. She finally blurted out the first thing that came to her. “I thought vampires couldn’t have children.”
    Davinia paused, looking surprised. Then she giggled. It was a high-pitched, nervous laugh. “I thought you might ask if I had stolen your blood, or if I were evil. That wasn’t what I expected.”
    “I wasn’t exactly prepared to deal with this situation.” Ellie smoothed a hand through her hair and approached her friend. “It’s a shock, just like learning I’m staying with a group of werewolves, but it doesn’t matter.” She touched Davinia’s arm to reassure her. “I can tell you I have a million questions though. Do you feel like answering some?”
    Davinia flashed a bright smile. “Sure.”
    As Ellie followed her to the couch, she tried to push back her guilt. On the surface, she was just asking questions about something she didn’t understand. Only she knew she would make notations on the notepad in her room tonight, after everyone had gone to bed. She wasn’t using the information for fame or wealth. Surely, the world deserved to know about the existence of these creatures. She shouldn’t feel guilty for educating others. So why was she thinking “guilty”?

 
     
    Chapter 7
     
    By the night of the Mating Moon Ceremony, Ellie had decided to accept Rica as her mate if he won the challenge. She didn’t doubt he would, assuming anyone else even challenged for her. She wasn’t exactly popular among the Pack, as evidenced by the large purple bruise under her eye. Yesterday, Lia and three other young women cornered her by the well as she pumped water for Golatia.
    Lia had spit on her. “You don’t belong here.”
    Ellie had wiped off the spittle and attempted to handle the girls with grace. “No, I don’t.”
    “Don’t patronize me. You think you’re going to be Rica’s mate, don’t you?” She could still hear Lia’s cold laugh in her head. “The Pack won’t allow it. I’m the one he’s going to choose. I’m the most beautiful woman in the Pack. My mother gave her approval for me to participate a year sooner so I could get Rica.”
    Knowing she was a jealous child hadn’t helped keep Ellie’s temper in check. She had given an equally cold laugh, raked her eyes up and down the tall girl’s frame, and shaken her head. “He wouldn’t pick you. You’re pretty, but you don’t have a brain in your little head. Rica wants an equal.”
    Lia’s response had been quick and vicious. Ellie leaned forward to look in the mirror, touching the mark the girl’s fist had left on her face. She supposed she was lucky Viggo had been nearby and scattered the girls before they could do any further damage. His warning about avoiding that group hadn’t been necessary. She planned to stay away from them during her time in Necheau.
    There was a knock at the door, and she said, “Enter.”
    Davinia stepped inside, holding her parka. “Are you ready?”
    Ellie felt a moment of apprehension. “Can I say no and get out of this?”
    Davinia shook her head. She was careful to keep her eyes lifted upward.
    Ellie tried to ignore her nudity as she crossed the room to take her coat. The only thing she wore was a scarlet band around her hips and a pair of boots. She didn’t know the significance of the cloth, but she thought she knew why the girls appeared wearing only that. It gave the men a chance to see what they were fighting for.
    Davinia had told her it was to evaluate her build for ease of birthing, but Ellie was cynical about that