Her eyes slid to her brother. Julian’s gaze locked with hers a moment before he looked to his boots.
Julian had his father’s build, his father’s hair but he had his mother’s startling blue eyes. They were clear sky blue. In all his years, Lucien had never seen eyes that color except in the face of his ex-partner and his son.
Isobel had her mother’s curves and delicate bone structure but she had her father’s dark hair and eyes. She was petite for a vampire, an inch shorter than Leah, her mother’s height.
Lucien was close with his children. He visited them when time allowed. They visited him the same. And he spoke to them regularly.
At that moment, however, he’d gladly throttle the both of them. Starting with Isobel.
This was because she brought Lucien’s father, Etienne.
It was safe to say Lucien was not close to his father.
This was because Etienne was not a vampire you could get close to. He was cold, unfeeling and superior.
This was also because Etienne was not a vampire you’d want to get close to because he was cold, unfeeling and superior but also because he was avaricious, sly, duplicitous and cruel.
And lastly this was because of Maggie.
Etienne had little to do with mortals except partaking of them as food and, at The Feasts he liked to attend, partaking of them in other ways. Some of them, in the cold, unfeeling, superior and savage ways he did it, not entirely welcomed by the mortals who attended The Feasts and usually those mortals were up for everything. He’d been called on this by The Dominion on more than one occasion and therefore had learned to hide these proclivities but Lucien, as did many, knew he had not ceased this behavior.
Etienne held no regard for mortals, never had. Therefore he had hated Lucien’s union with Maggie. And lastly he had not kept this feeling a secret from Lucien or from Maggie.
This was not something Lucien had forgiven nor would he ever forgive.
Further, Lucien was not brimming with excitement to have his ex-partner, Julian’s mother, Cressida, in the home he shared with Leah. This was not because he didn’t enjoy an amicable relationship with Cressida. He enjoyed a lot of things about and with Cressida, things he no longer intended to enjoy. This was because Cressida was like a cat and cats liked to play with their prey and she would see Leah as prey, no doubt about it. Although Leah would need to show respect to Cressida as vampire, Cressida would not offer that same respect to Leah as concubine regardless if this was Leah’s due and Lucien’s demand. It would amuse Cressida to play with Leah and to defy Lucien’s demands. She had, since he’d known her, liked her challenges. She did it often with him and others. With Lucien, even after they’d ended their relationship, these challenges always ended physical, first as vampire combat then as something altogether more pleasant. This had carried on for centuries until Lucien had tied himself to Katrina. And this would be what she would take delight in throwing in Leah’s face.
Luckily, they’d also brought Lucien’s mother, Magdalene.
Now Lucien was close with his mother. It was a mystery Lucien had never solved how Magdalene and Etienne had coupled. Magdalene was the opposite of Lucien’s father. After years of contemplating this enigma, the only answers Lucien could come up with were that they were both very young vampires when they started their union and it lasted less than twenty years which was clearly all Magdalene could take. Unlike Lucien and Cressida, their relationship was not amicable.
Therefore, upon sensing who his company was, he’d ordered Leah to shower and get ready and fortunately she’d obeyed. He’d gone down to greet his family and then he’d called Leah’s family and taken her himself to their guest house where he’d left her. Leah had not even glimpsed his family on her way out of the house nor, unusually quiet and docile, had she questioned his actions. On his way home, he’d called Avery to ask him to go to the guest house to guard her. Then he’d come home and left his father, mother and ex in the house in order to speak to his children privately.
Which brought him to now.
Lucien looked to his son. “And you?”
Julian’s head came up as did his brows. “Me?”
“Cressida,” Lucien answered, striving for patience for Julian was being purposefully obtuse, something he did more than occasionally.
“Cressida was curious,” Julian answered and Lucien decided this was likely the truth. He also knew his son shared a close bond with his mother. It was a rare occurrence when Julian didn’t give into her every whim. It was a rare occurrence when anyone didn’t give into her every whim. The only person who didn’t was Lucien.
Lucien’s voice was low with meaning when he reminded them, “I think I spoke to you both about this.”
“You did, Father, but –” Isobel started.
“But nothing,” Lucien cut her off, “not only was your judgment poor your decisions were dangerous.”
Julian spoke quickly. “Cressida would never –”
Lucien interrupted, “Etienne would.”
Julian sighed and nodded his agreement for, indeed, Etienne would.
“People are talking,” Isobel put in, “quite a bit.”
“I’m aware of that,” Lucien informed her.
“You had to know the talk would reach Etienne’s ears,” she went on.
“Yes, I knew that as well,” Lucien replied.
“Therefore,” she continued, “when he approached me, I thought about it and decided that it would be better for him to think he was in the family fold rather than for him to maneuver outside of it.”
“Keep your enemies close,” Julian muttered, his eyes on his father.
This was, Lucien had to admit, sound logic. Regardless, it didn’t explain why they’d perpetrated a surprise visit.
“And he’ll maneuver, we all know that,” Isobel continued. “He doesn’t agree with what you’re doing even though he’s told me he does and he only wants to offer you his support and allegiance.”
“He might even be a mole,” Julian added.
“Absolutely,” Lucien agreed, turning to face his children, “which is why I understand your logic but your judgment is still in question as to why you’d bring him here.”
“We thought –” Julian began but Lucien again interrupted.
“We’ve established that you didn’t.” On his last word, he leaned slightly toward his son and saw a muscle in Julian’s cheek twitch. “That vampire should be nowhere near Leah.”
“Father,” Isobel whispered, “it was my idea. Etienne wanted to take you off guard. He said it was because he knew you would not wish his visit so he didn’t want to forewarn you of it but I know it was so he could take you and your concubine by surprise. I decided if I didn’t agree to come with him, he’d do it himself. So I talked Jule and Magdalene into coming with us and Cressida is, well… Cressida so she’s here too. Now your mortal is protected. Even Cressida wouldn’t allow Etienne to harm your concubine if he should do the impossible and get past you.”
“There are a number of ways to harm Leah,” Lucien replied. “Many of which you can’t know. However, if you’d phoned and warned me of this visit, I could have explained them to you.”
Julian was openly curious. Isobel’s face went blank which meant she was equally curious.
Julian had the brute strength of his father and thus didn’t play his cards close to his vest. He could best practically anyone (save Lucien) and, if challenged, didn’t hesitate to do so. Lucien’s son was hot-headed and acted on his emotions therefore he was lucky he was a strong, capable, intuitive fighter.
Isobel, being petite, had to rely more on her cunning for most vampires were stronger than her and almost all were bigger. Her focus, craftiness and endurance were the most dangerous weapons in her arsenal and she used them well. Also like her father.
“You’ve already tamed her,” Julian guessed.
“Indeed,” Lucien replied.
“Oh my God,” Isobel breathed. “You’ve taken her as lover? B
efore The Council agreed?”
Lucien’s response was to lift his chin in the affirmative.
“Brilliant,” Julian muttered failing at fighting his grin.
Isobel’s body jerked to face her brother. “Jule! Are you nuts?”
“No,” he was still grinning but now it was directed at his sister. “There are a couple tasty mortal morsels I wouldn’t mind having. It’ll be nice to have that door opened.”
Isobel’s body jerked back to face her father. “Father!” she snapped. “Listen to him! This could mean –”
“I know what it means,” Lucien cut her off, “and I don’t give a fuck.”
“Can’t wait to meet this Leah,” Julian murmured, still grinning.
Isobel ignored her brother and spoke to her father. “I understand what you’re doing, why and you know you have my loyalty, no matter what,” she paused then repeated in a voice that vibrated, “No matter what, Father. But this is too fast. Vampires everywhere are having the same thoughts as you and Jule and we’re not prepared.”
“It took me ten minutes to talk The Council into considering my request, Bel,” Lucien replied quietly. “I’m sensing they understand that they may need to reconsider things not just for me and Leah but for all vampires.”
“Yes, perhaps,” Isobel allowed. “But this is going beyond you and your mortal and Rafe and her sister and even Julian wanting to get himself some. Orlando was seen at A Feast with his concubine and they were embracing. And Hermes selected his new concubine only a week ago and, just like you, he moved in with her the night of her Bloodletting.”
Lucien knew this as Avery had told him just that morning. He couldn’t say it was unwelcome news. Orlando was vicious in battle and Hermes equally coldblooded. Both, like Lucien, Cosmo and Stephanie, were roundly feared. It was surprising news that they’d acted so swiftly but it wasn’t disadvantageous. If it came to it, his army was clearly amassing and their ranks were such others would avoid challenging.
Isobel kept speaking. “So now it seems The Council’s hand is being forced. They don’t like that. They so much don’t like that, even if they were to find in your and your concubine’s favor, they’d find against it just to retain a vestige of control.”
Lucien’s jaw got hard before he said, “Leah.”
Isobel’s head twitched to the side before she asked, “What?”
“You call her my concubine, my mortal but her name, Bel, is Leah,” Lucien returned and Julian looked to his boots again but Lucien kept his eyes locked on his daughter.
Her face went hard before she replied, “I’m not like Etienne.”
“No, I know. I know your words are said out of concern for me. But that doesn’t change the fact that she is not my concubine, my mortal, she’s Leah,” Lucien replied.
He watched his daughter’s face pale. “But she is, Father. Regardless of the taming, of what you’re doing, she’s still your concubine.” She hesitated before asking, “Isn’t she?”
“She is. She’s also Leah,” Lucien stated.
“I don’t get it,” Julian put in.
Lucien crossed his arms on his chest and he looked between his son and daughter before saying, “Then I’ll give it to you. As you know, I’ve been waiting to have her for twenty years and I can tell you now that wait could have been a hundred years and I would not have been disappointed.”
Isobel pulled in a sharp breath. Julian’s gaze grew intense.
Lucien continued, “There is more to her, much more than I expected. Just Leah being Leah and more.” He studied his children and then shared, “She can mark me, with practice she may even be able to track me, tune me to her. I sense when she’s trying and it takes some effort to stop her from doing it.”
“Oh my God,” Isobel breathed.
“You’re kidding,” Julian whispered.
Lucien didn’t answer his son, he went on, “She senses danger either on her own or through me. She can speak to me with her mind not only when I’m reading hers but when she wishes to do so.”
Neither of his children responded, they both simply stared at him in shock.
Lucien continued, “And she and I are sharing dreams of The Sentence.”
“Christ,” Julian muttered on a wince but Isobel’s face went even paler.
Lucien carried on, “Leah’s dreams are vastly more powerful to the point where, if I’m not with her, even awake the dream doesn’t leave her. Indeed, the other night she nearly died by hanging such is the power of her mind.”
“Oh Father,” Isobel whispered.
“She’s special,” Lucien stated. “It will be intriguing to watch and see if these abilities form more fully and how. But I need to guard her, protect her in ways I didn’t fathom when I began this. I need to protect her from those who would harm her because of what she means to their way of life, concubines who wish to halt a change or vampires who wish the same. I need to keep her abilities a secret. And I also need to protect her from these dreams. I shared her dream just last night. It’s hideous. Simply her having them is bad enough. Her physically experiencing them, I will not abide. Her dying from one, I will not tolerate.”
“Of course not,” Isobel said softly. “That’s terrible.”
“It is,” Lucien agreed. “Now, we need to be certain Etienne doesn’t discover these things. We also need to be certain that Cressida nor even Magdalene learn about what Leah can do. And we need to be certain that Leah does not learn from any of them about Maggie or the fact that the additional component to the physical nature of our relationship is not commonplace with concubines.”
Isobel lost her ability to hide her reactions and her mouth dropped open.
“What?” Julian asked. “She doesn’t know?”
“No, she doesn’t know,” Lucien answered, his children glanced at each other but wisely did not question this and Lucien went on. “Also, Julian, you need to keep a tight rein on your mother. Leah is not like other concubines. She’s not even like other mortals. She’s spirited and unused to obedience. If Cressida presses for a reaction, Leah will likely give it to her and if that should happen, I will side with Leah.”
“You’ll side with Leah?” Julian asked. “Against a vampire?”
“Absolutely,” Lucien answered.
Suddenly, Isobel’s eyes narrowed and she queried, “Why are you both dreaming of The Sentence?”
“I’ve no idea,” Lucien replied.
Isobel instantly shot her next question at him. “Do you intend to take her as your mate?”
Lucien felt his body go solid as he heard Julian take in a sharp breath and he spoke low and slow when he answered, “No, Isobel, I do not.”
“Then why would you both be dreaming of The Sentence?” she pushed.
“I’ve answered that question, Bel,” Lucien returned.
Isobel kept pushing. “You obviously hold her in deep regard. You marked her twenty years ago. You’ve stated you’d back her even if she disrespected one of your own kind. And you’re putting yourself, your family, your friends and our way of life in danger and you’re saying all of that is just so you can fuck her?”
“Bel,” Julian hissed.
“No!” Isobel snapped back, her eyes cutting to her brother. “I want to know. I want to know what he’d risk burning for. I heard she’s not hard on the eyes and she smells divine but no mortal blood and definitely no mortal pussy is worth burning.”
“Okay, but you don’t have to be a bitch about it,” Julian bit out.
But Lucien had had enough.
Silence! Lucien commanded. Both his children’s mouths clamped shut and when they turned to face him, he continued. Be still, and their bodies locked.
“Do not,” he spoke aloud, his gaze on his daughter, “ever speak that way in regards to Leah. What I have with her and why I’d risk what I’d risk for her, if you don’t understand it when you see it, is none of your fucking business. If you know nothing, you know me better than to think I’d take this risk if it didn’t
mean something to me and that should be enough for the both of you. Am I understood?”
He freed their minds and Isobel clenched her teeth but nodded. Julian tipped up his chin.
“There will be no more talk of mates,” Lucien declared.
Julian tipped up his chin again but Isobel pulled in a deep breath.
Then her face changed. It melted and it so reminded him of her mother who was the most gentle vampire he’d ever known, much like Maggie, that some of Lucien’s temper fled.
“You’re loved,” she said quietly.
The rest of Lucien’s temper fled and he replied, “I know that, darling.”
She shook her head and looked to the water before she went on, “I’m just worried about you. I wasn’t around when vampires could take mortal mates but,” her eyes came back to him, “I heard that was what it was like. That they didn’t respect vampires. That they were treated as equals. That –”
“You’re wrong and you’re right,” Lucien interrupted her. “You’ve never experienced a taming. It’s about respect and equality. But, Bel, when you see Leah with me, you’ll understand.” He closed the distance between them, lifted his hand and put it to his daughter’s neck, his thumb moving to stroke her delicate jaw, also just like her mother’s before he murmured, “I promise, my darling, you’ll understand.”
Her black eyes hit his and it took a moment before her eyes grew warm and she nodded.
Lucien smiled at her and he received a hesitant smile in return. Then he felt Julian get close to them and both he and Isobel looked to their sides to see Julian grinning.
“Seriously,” he said through his grin, “I can’t wait to meet Leah.”
* * * * *
Lucien strode into the guest house on the annoying errand of claiming his concubine to take her back to meet his family. The annoying part of this errand was the last part.
The minute he entered, he saw her through the windows at the back of the house, sitting out on the deck in the sun, drinking coffee with her mother, aunts and Avery. Seeing her sitting there, smiling, the sun kissing her skin, glinting in her long, thick hair, he wondered if he would ever grow accustomed to her beauty. Drinking it in, he decided he would not.