He stopped only steps into the unit’s living room because he caught a familiar scent and heard a heart beating.
He turned his head to the side and waited. It took only a moment for Kate to walk into the living room from the small kitchen.
She’d been waiting for him. He knew this by the way she held her body and the expectant look on her face.
“Kate,” he greeted and he heard her heartbeat escalate as he smelled her fear.
She had something to say. Something she didn’t want to say. Something that was important enough for her to power through her fears to say it. And lastly, something that would take time.
This was a nuisance. All of it. Leah’s family being there, his as well. He’d been waiting for Leah for twenty years. And he’d had one day, the length of which he was away, and one night of her being tamed. Being his. And it was far better than he expected it would be. He wanted their families gone and his attention focused on nothing but Leah with hers on nothing but him. And he didn’t want this for the day. He didn’t even want it for the next week.
He wanted it for as long as he could keep hold of it.
“Lucien, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like a word,” Kate spoke quietly.
He minded. But seeing as this was Kate Buchanan, the matriarch of the Buchanan concubines, and Leah’s aunt, Lucien did what he did not wish to do. He lifted his chin to indicate assent.
Then he watched the indomitable Kate Buchanan press her lips together.
Fucking hell, she was nervous.
He didn’t have time for this.
“Kate, please begin,” he ordered.
“Leah is in fine spirits this morning,” Kate noted and Lucien’s head turned to the windows. Through them he saw Leah smiling at Nadia, her manner relaxed, her beautiful face aglow, warmth emanating from her. Even if their family dynamic was strange, it was clear she adored them and he liked that. But more, the taming was complete. She was not holding back, not hiding, not on guard.
She was just Leah.
His Leah.
Finally.
“She’s told us your family is at her house,” Kate went on and Lucien’s eyes went to her.
“They are indeed,” he confirmed and her head tilted to the side.
“Etienne?” she asked quietly and Lucien sighed with irritation.
“You have nothing to fear, Kate. She’s safe under my protection,” he assured her of something which she should not need assurances. Even if Leah was not who she was to him, she was his concubine and he was Lucien. He’d never allow anything to harm her.
“She feels that way,” Kate bizarrely replied.
“Pardon?” Lucien asked.
“She feels that way. Safe. Your family is at her home, there’s a possibility she’ll be meeting them and she’s not anxious in the slightest,” Kate explained. “In fact, she’s quite content and even…” she paused, “cheery.”
Lucien thought that was excellent. Mainly he thought this because he knew it was he who made her that way. But Leah in a relaxed, cheerful mood feeling safe under his care would aid greatly in her impending meeting with his family.
Kate kept talking. “She has no idea she should be nervous with Etienne there. Even so, they are your family and you two have a…” she hesitated then finished, “special relationship. In normal circumstances, that is to say, amongst mortals who are starting a relationship, meeting each other’s families is a significant thing.”
Lucien turned fully to her and crossed his arms on his chest. “Please,” he invited, “stop beating around the bush and explain what’s on your mind.”
“My grandmother knew Sasha,” Kate said softly and swiftly.
Lucien tensed.
Kate continued, “This is, as you undoubtedly know, a story passed through the concubines now for decades. Only cautionary, of course, but nevertheless it is well-known. But we Buchanans, as my grandmother was confidant to Sasha, know even more. Except Leah who, for obvious reasons, we kept this from. And Leah feels safe with you, as she would.” She hurried to say the last. “But Etienne, he’s… she’s… well, we both know Leah and –”
He knew what she was saying.
Sasha, his father’s concubine some decades ago, was a legend and not in a good way. She was one of the rare concubines who had demanded to be released from her contract. And she was one of the very few who did so on the grounds of extreme cruelty. It was investigated and The Dominion found that Etienne regularly and often fed from his concubine without anesthetizing her, getting off on the agonizing pain he inflicted.
Obviously, she was released. She was also endowed with a fortune, this commanded by The Dominion to be provided upon her by Etienne. He was infuriated but he did it. He also never again treated a concubine in this manner. However he often engaged in this pastime elsewhere.
It was the first such occurrence for over two hundred years and the last of its kind since then.
It was not a secret the vampire Etienne held no regard for mortals and this was only one incidence of proof of that fact.
It was also not lost on Kate that Leah was spirited and rarely showed him the respect he was due. If pushed, she could earn Etienne’s ire and his attention neither of which would be advantageous. Especially not now.
However, with his children and mother in attendance and Leah tamed, he had matters in hand.
Therefore, Lucien interrupted her. “Do not concern yourself with this.”
She leaned into him and whispered, “Lucien, you know I say this respectfully, but there is no way I can not concern myself with this. What you’re doing with Leah… what you’ve already done. Etienne –”
“Kate,” Lucien cut her off, “I’ll repeat this only once. This is not your concern. It’s mine. I am aware of it and I’ll keep Leah safe.”
“She’s dreaming of The Sentence,” Kate reminded him.
“I’m more aware of the meaning of that than you,” Lucien clipped, losing patience.
“Okay then why? And how?” Kate pressed, her heartbeat escalating further, her breath coming faster. She was pushing him, she knew it. But she loved her niece and was concerned.
For that reason, Lucien sought patience.
“This I don’t know,” Lucien admitted through his teeth.
“Then Etienne being involved at this juncture, with so many unknowns, so many dangers –”
“I will keep her safe,” Lucien repeated impatiently.
“She’s falling in love with you,” Kate blurted and Lucien’s entire body went tense. Kate saw it and leaned back then took a small step away from him. Still, even as she moved away, her eyes studied him closely. Then, quietly and with some surprise, she whispered, “That eventuality had not occurred to you.”
She was wrong. Stephanie had warned him of this possibility. Cosmo had concerns of it. His children.
But it could not happen.
“She is concubine, I’m vampire. She’s mortal, I’m immortal. She’s dreaming of The Sentence and after I explained it to her, she knows what it means. It would be beyond foolhardy for her to fall in love with me. Even before she knew of The Sentence, she knew vampires did not mate with mortals. She knew this,” Lucien replied, feeling something in his gut. Something new. Something he hadn’t felt in centuries. Something he only felt once in his very long life.
Something he felt with Maggie.
I love you.
Christ, he’d heard it through her dreams. He’d even heard it in his.
Christ! Could these dreams be premonitory?
No. It simply could not happen.
“You’ve spent much time watching Leah, hearing of her and now, being with her. But you still have much to learn about her,” Kate said softly, taking his attention back to her.
Lucien held Kate’s eyes before he sighed.
It was time to do something about this, for their families, those who cared about them and, especially, for Leah.
Therefore he announced, “I’ll speak to her.”<
br />
Kate’s brows shot up. “You mean, to tell her not to fall in love with you?” she asked incredulously.
“No, to remind her of things she should keep in the forefront of her mind through our time together. Once I remind her of these things, she’ll stop herself from being controlled by these types of emotions.”
Kate shook her head. “Lucien, this is Leah we’re talking about.”
“Yes, and she is far from stupid. I can see as our relationship has progressed, the intensity of feelings we’ve shared, matters could cloud better judgment. I’ll simply call her attention to what she should bear in mind.”
“You can do that, of course, and Leah is clever. But Lucien, I warn you if you haven’t already noted this, my niece follows her heart. She’s ruled by emotion. She can understand something logically in her head but her feelings guide her, especially if they’re intense. Her head has absolutely no sway over her emotions.”
“Then I’ll explain things fully,” Lucien returned and Kate fell silent. When this lasted several moments, Lucien enquired, “Are we finished?”
“One more thing,” she answered quietly.
“One more, Kate,” Lucien allowed, “but make it fast.”
“If you intend to have this talk with Leah, please, I implore you, do it quickly.”
“Unfortunately, at this time there are a variety of other matters –” Lucien started and was surprised when Kate cut him off.
And she did this to whisper, “Make this a priority, please, for my niece.”
“Kate –”
“She’s falling in love with you.”
“And I will speak with her.”
“Yes, but you must do it soon…” she hesitated and concern washed through her features as she finished, “before she lands.”
Lucien drew in breath.
Then he acquiesced, “I’ll make it a priority.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Lucien was done. He communicated this by tipping up his chin and moving toward the backdoor of the house.
As he moved he noted Avery sense his approach and Lucien watched through the windows as Avery rose and moved to the door.
His eyes went to Leah to see she’d noticed Avery’s departure. Her gaze then came to the window, caught his and she smiled and waved.
Hello, my pet, he called to her.
Hello, darling, she replied.
She meant it, calling him darling.
He smiled back.
Avery came through the door.
“A moment, Lucien.”
Lucien stopped, his eyes going to Avery, his control on his patience slipping.
“I’ll just head outside,” Kate murmured, slid past Avery and Lucien and out the door, closing it behind her.
Lucien leveled his gaze on Avery, warning, “I have very little time and less patience.”
“Only a moment,” Avery replied quickly.
“Then take your moment,” Lucien allowed.
“Gregor requests a meeting.”
Lucien held his eyes but didn’t expose his reaction.
Gregor was a member of The Council. Lucien had known him for years but, even so, he didn’t know him at all. He could be ally, he could be enemy.
Centuries ago, Gregor had shocked all vampires by denouncing his mortal mate during The Hunt. He was the only vampire to do this. Many didn’t understand Gregor’s actions, however Lucien did. If Maggie had lived, for her, he would have considered it. It was fortunately unfortunate that this decision never needed to be made.
Lucien, having had a mortal mate himself, could believe Gregor denounced his mate to give her a longer mortal life, even if they had to live the sudden brevity without each other.
This could mean that all these years, Gregor was holding resentment about the loss of his mate. This meaning he desired vampires to have their freedoms restored, to have what he lost, if only the taming. It could also mean that, having lost his, that resentment could have turned bitter and he wished no other vampire to mate with mortals, not even for a taming.
The only thing Lucien had to go on with Gregor was that he’d taken a young mortal into his care after her parents were assassinated. Lucien had never met the girl who now was a woman. However he had heard talk that Gregor was devoted to her in his way. The vampire was cold but Lucien sensed he wasn’t unfeeling. Further, Gregor’s son, Yuri was attached to his father’s ward, perhaps unhealthily. Or at least The Dominion would feel that way.
This could work in his favor if Gregor wished his son to be free to claim the mortal child he raised not only to keep her in the family but also to keep her alive for eternity.
“Arrange it,” he ordered Avery.
“With Stephanie and Cosmo,” Avery added and Lucien’s gaze sharpened on his face.
“Why would he wish Teffie and Cosmo to be there?”
“I’ve no idea. He just does.”
Lucien was silent a moment.
He didn’t like that Gregor wished to speak with him and his two closest friends who would be his two chief lieutenants should hostilities escalate. Further, having all of them there would mean he would be forced to leave Leah unprotected as, at that juncture, he did not feel he could trust another vampire enough to add to her security detail.
This could be a plot. It could also bode bad tidings. Or it could mean further inroads into The Council.
He wouldn’t know unless he took the chance and took the meeting.
His protection of Leah primarily involved his control of information shared with her, her interaction with vampires who might wish to frighten her into distrusting their culture, including Lucien, thus driving her emotionally away from him and, most importantly, her sleep.
Edwina and Leah herself would see to it that she did not slumber while he was absent.
Leah was not immune to fear but she’d demonstrated more than once that she trusted him and she further admitted, gratifyingly, that she felt safe with him. If vampires were to approach with the intent to scare her, she might get frightened but she’d await him to explain and make her feel safe.
Lucien did not fear for her experiencing bodily harm. Being Lucien, no vampire alive would be foolish enough to harm her physically. Except Katrina and his ex-mate only had the courage to act when pushed by emotion she was too weak in the heat of the moment to control. Further, Katrina had made it clear through copious communications with anyone who would listen that her emotion had shifted from anger irrationally directed at Leah to anger at Lucien. She was no longer a threat.
But it would be Lucien who told her, eventually, of the differences of their Arrangement. It would be he, perhaps, who would share with her about Maggie. And it was unlikely she would be approached by another vampire who wished to drive a wedge between them in the time it would take to have this meeting.
Making his decision, he repeated, “Arrange it.”
Avery nodded.
Lucien dismissed him by moving his gaze to Leah.
He wanted no further delays. The sooner the meeting with his family was conducted, the sooner he could get them on their way.
Therefore, he called, Tell your family good-bye, sweetling, and come to me.
It was an order but not mind control. And he was pleased to see Leah turn her head to look at him, tip it to the side then give him a small smile. Then he watched as she did as she was told.
Lucien returned Avery’s farewell and Leah passed Avery on her way in, stopping to get up on her toes to brush her lips to his cheek. Then she came through the door, the small smile still on her face.
“Is everything okay?” she asked as she arrived at him.
Not even close, he thought, studying her.
She was beautiful. Even more beautiful than Maggie. And like Maggie, Leah’s beauty had depth. It was in the inquisitiveness of her eyes that didn’t hide the warmth, a warmth she felt upon seeing him. It was in the hint of concern she also didn’t hide. Concern because she knew he was not pleased his f
amily had arrived unannounced but further he’d also taken her away without explanation before she could encounter a single one of them. It was in her bearing. The way she wore her clothes. The way she felt about her family. It was his knowledge that she could and would say or do practically anything and most of it he would find interesting or amusing. And none of it he would ever find boring.
Until the sun falls from the sky.
The words of the Ancient Claiming Ceremony hit his brain.
Any immortal would seek these things in his mate. Beauty, depth, warmth, concern but more. Eternity was just that and that was a very long time. Any man would wish his mate to surprise him, amuse him, interest him and never, ever bore him.
If they had five years or five hundred, Leah would never bore him.
He knew this in that instant right to the depths of his soul.
Until the sun falls from the sky.
“Lucien?” she called softly, her voice warm too, inquisitive, concerned. She moved into him and laid a hand light on his chest. “Is everything okay?”
Until the sun falls from the sky.
Yes. Kate was correct. He needed to discuss things with Leah as a priority.
Finally, he answered, “They will be, pet. We’re going home now to have lunch with my family. However, I need to speak with you before we return.”
“Okay.” She was still talking softly and getting closer. When she did, his arms slid around her.
She relaxed into him.
Yes. He had her. All of her. His.
Finally.
Until the sun falls from the sky.
“So, uh…” she broke into his thoughts when he didn’t speak, “are we actually going to speak? Or are we going to stand here staring at each other?”
Lucien relaxed then grinned and told her, “I could stand here and stare at you for some time, sweetling, but I suppose we should speak.”
At his grin, she relaxed deeper into him. At his words, even deeper and her face went soft.
He liked that. All of it.
And all of it was his. Only his.
Until the sun falls from the sky.
He drew in breath and addressed the matter at hand.
“At home are my children, Julian and Isobel. My mother, Magdalene. My father, Etienne. And Julian’s mother, Cressida.”