“What is it then?” Cosmo retorted.
“What it is, is none of your fucking concern,” Lucien shot back.
“This is unbelievable,” Stephanie hissed and Lucien looked to her.
“Teffie, calm,” Avery murmured.
Stephanie’s head was a blur when she turned to Avery and shouted, “I will not be calm! We’re on the cuff of war!”
“You’re in love with her.”
The room went still when Gregor spoke these word and Lucien’s eyes moved to him.
“Yes,” he confirmed without hesitation.
“Oh my God,” Stephanie whispered.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Cosmo said softly.
“You know my choices Gregor,” Lucien stated calmly. “You’re the only one in this room who does. I can keep her safe but for how long? The feeding I’ve done from her, it won’t have had the chance to have much effect, give her a longer life. She has forty, fifty years left of mortal life. That’s better than living whatever length of time I can keep her alive, doing it on the run and her life ending on a scaffold while she watches me burn. You know that better than anyone in this room. Therefore, this afternoon, I’m releasing her.”
“How long have you known?” Stephanie asked quietly and Lucien’s gaze went to her.
“The minute I saw her twenty years ago,” Lucien answered.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Her voice was rising.
“Because I only admitted it to myself two minutes ago,” Lucien replied.
Stephanie closed her eyes and dropped her head.
“Why?” Cosmo asked and Lucien looked to him.
“Why?” he repeated.
“Yes, Lucien, why? If you love her, why are you releasing her?”
“You’ve never mated. Seven hundred and fifty-three years, Cosmo, you’ve been on this earth and not one woman, mortal or immortal, have you stood beside and exchanged blood and vows. When you do, you’ll know why,” Lucien returned.
“None of this was about the taming,” Cosmo accused. “It’s bullshit that you only knew two minutes ago you loved her. You’ve known it all along.”
Lucien inclined his head. “On some level, yes. But I was denying it for Leah’s safety. And bullshit it might have been Cosmo, but you knew too. So did Stephanie. And Isobel. And anyone who really knows me. If you’re honest, all of you knew I was doing this for more reasons than to tame and fuck a concubine.”
“So on some level you knew you couldn’t have her and she couldn’t have you and you did it anyway,” Cosmo reminded him.
“What I knew from what I had with Maggie was that having Leah for even a little while was better than not having her at all. Not only for me but for her. And our time together proved me right. And I knew, this time, our time together would be short. So I knew I couldn’t waste any. What I did not factor was that Leah would return my feelings so swiftly.”
At this, understanding dawned. Lucien knew it when Cosmo flinched and turned his head away.
Lucien looked to Gregor.
“She shared she was in love with me today. As The Council is considering my request, I’ve reflected on this. My first instinct was to talk logic to her in an effort to prolong our Arrangement. But this is Leah. I know her better than that. She consumes life, she’s ruled by emotion. She won’t enjoy what we have for a short time. And she cannot know I reciprocate her feelings. If she does, she’ll never let me go. And I’ll not want her to. Thinking I don’t share her love, she’s already shut down on me. She’s retreating in an effort to control the pain I’ve caused. I must release her for her sake. Therefore, I do not need The Council’s permission. That said, if other vampires wish to indulge in a taming, you should know I will champion them.”
“Please sit, Lucien,” Gregor requested quietly.
Lucien shook his head. “I must get back to Leah.”
“Please, Lucien. Sit,” Gregor said more firmly.
“This is done. I must get back home.”
Home.
Home.
Not anymore.
Fuck.
Fuck!
Gregor held his eyes.
Then he stated, “What I’m about to say is known by very few. A very select few. If anyone outside of that sacred circle and the occupants of this room ever speak of what I’m going to tell you, it won’t matter which one of you shared the secret. All of you will be hunted. All of you will be captured. All of you will be tortured until you beg to be burned. Every member of your family will have the same fate. And everyone you love, immortal or,” his eyes sharpened on Lucien’s face, “mortal will share that fate too.”
“Holy shit,” Stephanie breathed, sitting back down.
“Speak,” Lucien barked and Gregor lifted his chin.
Then his gaze swept the room as he announced, “Immortal history is a lie.”
Lucien felt his eyes narrow.
“I beg your pardon?” Cosmo asked.
“Immortal history is a lie,” Gregor repeated. “Millennia ago, a decision was made. There was much fighting. Bloody battle after bloody battle was waged. Immortals tortured, beheaded, burned. It was gruesome, it was destructive and in the end it simply decimated the number of our species. Tragically. There were very few of us left. Any of us.” He lifted a hand to gesture to Avery. “Vampires. Werewolves. Wraiths. Phantoms. Golom. The Wee. So the remainder of the species came to an agreement and made their decision. Many of our people need humans to survive. A way needed to be found that we could live amongst them peacefully. The battles were mostly fought over conflicts about domination. Being vastly stronger and extremely difficult to kill, there were immortals who felt our kind should rule mortals and when I say that I mean enslave them. The others were bent on a more democratic co-existence even if they knew it would mean hiding who we are.”
“This is not news, Gregor. These ancient battles are known amongst all immortals. To this day it is a very ill-kept secret that there are those who still harbor these different political opinions,” Lucien informed him.
“Yes, you do know of that, of course,” Gregor stated, looking up at Lucien. “What you don’t know is that the different species are not mutated from homo sapiens, a transmutation of wolf and human, an evolutionary process based on geography or a metamorphosis of natural forces into human forms nor did we evolve to what we are today from primordial slime. We were made from magic.”
“Holy shit,” Stephanie breathed.
“That’s ridiculous,” Cosmo bit out.
Gregor looked to Cosmo. “It may seem so but it’s absolutely true. We are otherworldly. We are supernatural. There is no explanation for us. We are magic.”
“Explain,” Lucien growled and Gregor’s eyes came to him.
“I cannot, Lucien. As I said, there is no explanation for us. There has been much research on the topic but whenever and however we came into existence, in those ancient times there were no records kept. And there were so many of our species killed in these battles and the secret has been kept for so long, even the ancients who made the pact have since expired. If they knew the secret of our origin, they took it to their deaths.”
“This can’t be possible,” Stephanie whispered.
“It isn’t,” Gregor informed her. “That’s what makes it magic.”
“If that’s the case, explain how we share the same exact body structure as humans. We mate the same. Reproduce the same. Breathe, sleep and, for the most part, eat the same,” Lucien demanded.
“I do not know the answer to that either. But think about it, Lucien,” Gregor encouraged softly. “Each species does, indeed, share the same exact body structure as humans and yet, unless we are beheaded or burned, we do not die. On this earth, nearly everything dies eventually. Even the ancients who made that pact didn’t die naturally. Some were killed and others killed themselves.”
“We consume mortal blood to nourish us, keep us alive,” Stephanie put in. “We’d die without it.”
“You??
?d be weakened significantly. But you would not die. This is not a fact understood by our kind because none of us have tested this theory by abstaining. But it is nevertheless true,” Gregor stated, Stephanie’s eyes got wide and Gregor carried on. “But wraiths and phantoms consume mortal energy. How is that possible? It seems natural to us since we’ve known it for what seems like eternity but, Stephanie, it… is… not. If you think about it logically, you know it too. Not to mention, werewolves are immortal and they don’t consume anything mortal or anything different than mortals do. Except to say they consume a lot of it and metabolize it much faster.”
“Why would immortals be told we’re humans?” Stephanie asked. “Lying to us about who we are doesn’t make sense.”
“We already are different from humans and unfortunately that species is prone to fearing the unknown and we all know that fear often manifests unpleasantly. To convince immortals that they share integral parts with humans gave immortals a sense of humanity. A oneness with the other beings inhabiting this earth. Doing it built in immortals an affinity between the species. If you feel you’ve evolved from a species that is inferior to you but you have the capacity to feel compassion, it would assist in eradicating urges to subjugate your inferiors because they are an extension of yourselves. And, for millennia, you must admit, this has worked very well.”
“This is bloody insane,” Cosmo muttered.
“Indeed but it’s also absolutely true,” Gregor returned.
“And this great secret,” Lucien stated and Gregor’s attention returned to him, “you’re sharing this with us now because…?”
“Because of The Prophesies,” Gregor answered.
“Oh shit. Here we go,” Stephanie murmured and Gregor turned to her, his eyebrows snapping together.
“You know of The Prophesies?”
“No,” she retorted. “But two minutes ago I learned I’m supernatural. It would stand to reason right on the heels of that you’d spout nonsense about prophesies. Fuck, Gregor, I’m hundreds of years old. I’ve read my fair share of books. With supernatural shit, there’s always fucking prophesies.”
Stephanie was pissed but she was also amusing.
Even so, Lucien did not laugh.
Gregor responded, “Well the ones you’ll learn of today all have to do with The Three. The Three being The Sacred Triumvirate which includes a vampire whose strength and cunning know no equal but who also has added abilities beyond any shared by his species. He will find his lifemate, a mortal woman of great spirit who also has her own abilities. Those she was born with, one of which is the ability to absorb her mate’s powers through his feeding.”
The air in the room went thick and Lucien’s gut wrenched as his chest squeezed.
Gregor wasn’t finished.
“The second is the King of Werewolves who will find his lifemate and, she too, will have otherworldly powers. And the last is a werewolf, vampire hybrid whose mortal lifemate will also be exceptional.”
“Werewolves and vampires cannot produce children,” Cosmo declared.
“Yes, and neither can vampires and mortals but if The Prophesies come true, Lucien will sire four children on Leah in the next ten years,” Gregor returned.
Lucien couldn’t have held back his reaction if he tried. But he didn’t try. His hand shot out, his fingers curling tightly around the top of the chair in front of him.
“My God,” Stephanie whispered.
Gregor looked to Lucien.
“Times are changing,” he stated softly. “War is nearly upon us. And this is not a war amongst vampires who wish to be freed from the constrictions of the Immortal and Mortal Agreement against those who do not. It will be war amongst all immortals allied with mortals who will fight against the immortals who wish to rid the planet of their brethren who think differently than they do. Brethren who want to live amongst what their enemies consider their inferiors. And our enemy wishes to enslave their inferiors to serve them in all ways. And, I’m sorry to say, Lucien, as you have endured much in your years, you and your Leah are part of The Three. A trio of lifemates who will be instrumental in stopping this or the six of you will perish trying.”
Fuck.
Fuck!
“What does this mean?” Cosmo asked.
It was Avery who answered.
“This means it is time for immortals to make inroads as immortals into the mortal world. And to do this, this means The Council have already amended the Immortal and Mortal Agreement. It means that not only will vampires be free to tame their concubines, they will be free to tame any mortal they desire. And lastly,” his eyes moved to Lucien, “they will again be free to mate with mortals officially. The Sentence has been done away with. They’ll be making an official statement on Monday.”
Lucien’s hand released the chair; he turned and moved swiftly to the door.
“Lucien,” Gregor called, Lucien stopped and turned back.
But not because of Gregor’s call.
“Are these Prophesies written?” he demanded.
“They are,” Gregor replied. “But –”
Lucien interrupted him, “I must get to Leah. Later, you’ll arrange for me to read them.”
“That’s impossible,” Gregor returned.
“Make it possible,” Lucien clipped.
“You don’t understand,” Gregor said carefully.
“And you can explain it to me after I speak with Leah,” Lucien retorted.
“I might be able to arrange for you to see some of them but it is highly likely you’ll only be allowed to see those Prophesies that do not concern you but instead the other two sets of lifemates in The Triumvirate,” Gregor explained.
“Pull strings, grease palms, exchange favors but find a way for me to read those Prophesies,” Lucien gritted.
“Luce, do you believe this nonsense?” Stephanie asked in disbelief and Lucien’s eyes cut to her.
“That Leah’s my lifemate?” he asked, Stephanie nodded and Lucien finished, “Absolutely.”
Stephanie’s head jerked right before her eyes narrowed and that was right before she grinned.
“Okay, then do you believe about The Prophesies?” she queried.
“If anything is written about Leah and me, I want to read it whether it was written yesterday or three thousand years ago and whether I believe it or not,” Lucien replied.
“Understandable,” she muttered, still grinning.
“There is much still to talk about,” Gregor cut in and Lucien’s eyes went to him.
“We’ll arrange another meeting. Two weeks,” he stated.
Gregor’s eyebrows shot up. “Two weeks?”
“Gregor, I’m about to walk out of this office, go home and ask the woman I love to spend eternity with me. Yes, fucking two weeks and consider yourself lucky I’m not going to arrange a fucking meeting until after two months.”
Gregor’s eyes dipped to his knees but not before Lucien saw them light.
Jesus, the vampire wasn’t entirely cold and unfeeling. This was good to know.
On that thought, the door opened and Lucien turned to it to see Sally’s head stuck in.
Then his body went solid when he registered her pallor, her wide eyes and smelled her fear.
“I’m so sorry, Lucien. I know you said no interruptions but Edwina’s on the phone and she said it’s a dire emergency.”
Fuck, he’d turned off his cell for this meeting. And with Cosmo, Stephanie and Avery at the meeting, he’d necessarily but unwillingly left Leah unprotected.
Fuck!
He strode swiftly to his desk, forcing himself to do it at a mortal’s pace, demanding to know, “What line?”
“One,” Sally replied.
He yanked the phone out of its cradle, put it to his ear, hitting line one at the same time.
“Edwina.”
“Lucien,” she breathed, her voice hitching. “Oh, Lucien.”
“Talk to me,” he ordered.
“Your… your father, Ka
… Katrina, Marcello and um… I don’t know his name but there were four vampires here. They busted through the door. They –”
Fuck. No. Oh fuck, no.
“Leah?” he barked.
“She’s gone,” Edwina whispered and Lucien’s gut twisted as his free hand curled into a fist and his chest started to burn.
“Gone?” he whispered back, stunned at their audacity as well as livid. “They took her?”
“No, no… she left. They, your father that is, he said the most awful things to her, Lucien. You wouldn’t… I couldn’t even believe it. He told her such awful things. And he told her about some woman named Maggie.”
Lucien closed his eyes as his fist tightened. He put it to his desk and leaned into it.
Edwina kept talking.
“He… he… oh Lucien, I’m sorry to tell you this about your own father but… he touched her.”
Lucien opened his eyes but he saw nothing but red.
“He touched Leah?”
“Oh fuck.” He heard Stephanie whisper but Edwina was again talking.
“He touched her and he spoke to her, such vile things. She was… she was crying, Lucien. It was… oh goodness, the look on her face. I’ll never forget it. I tried to explain but she… I’m sorry, she packed her things and left. She was so desperate to get away, she left me tied up but called the police to come get me. They’re here now. They got here just minutes ago. I called you as soon as I –”
“Do not leave. Do not make a complaint to the police but keep them there until I’m home. I’ll bring others with me so you’ll be safe.”
“All right, Lucien,” she whispered. “I, uh… you should know, your father said they would be prepared for your response.”
Fuck.
“Did they harm you?” he asked belatedly.
“They scared me and taped me to a chair. It hurt when they ripped the tape off but I’m fine.”
They would burn for the hurt Edwina endured when the tape was ripped off.
They would scream before they burned for attacking Leah.
And his father would beg for his life to end.
And he’d do this for a long fucking time.
“I’ll be home in twenty minutes,” Lucien told her.