Chapter Four – Leon
Leon couldn't stop grinning.
There was blood everywhere. He hadn't realized that he had continued to bleed for a while after Yuliana had stopped drinking from him. It had been the single most erotic experience he had had. Not that he had much experience in such matters, but when her little fangs had pierced his flesh, he understood what drew so many humans to the vampires. It was like a thousand fireworks had gone off in his brain, leaving him captured in the moment like he was in a dream where time didn't exist. In that moment, he would have given her anything she wanted.
It took all his self-control to stop himself from taking her at that moment. He needed her full ready for him. It was only when Yuliana herself was begging him to take her that he broke down and entered. He probably should have waited a little longer, pleasured her more, but she was relaxed in his arms as they bonded as the old, mated Wolves told him the woman was supposed to be. And she had given no indication that he hurt her, which filled him with pride.
If every moment of their lives could be like their mating, working together, communicating what they liked and what they didn't, pleasing each other before pleasing themselves, then this mating would work out after all. He expected… satisfaction in this relationship. When he decided to take a vampire mate, he never expected happiness.
But right now, he thought they might just have a chance.
Yuliana, her lips painted red, with streaks of dried blood over her naked torso, stirred. Her eyes opened. A shy smile spread over her face. "Morning."
"More like afternoon." Leon chuckled and kissed her. "How are you?"
Yuliana stretched highlighting her body in a way that made him tighten. The vampire cuddled close to him. "I feel like I'm glowing. I'm a little sore, though."
"Was I too rough?"
Yuliana shook her head. "But it looks like I was."
She touched some of the caked blood on his chest, and Leon grinned. "Never. Vampire bites don't heal as quickly as normal wounds. It took longer than I had expected. But don't worry. You can sink your little fangs into my neck whenever you want."
His mate pushed herself to her elbow and narrowed her eyes. "My fangs are longer than usual. They're long and delicate and perfect ivories. They happen to be my best feature."
Leon's gaze trailed lazily down her body. He lingered on her breasts and thighs and reached behind her to squeeze her ass. "I think you have plenty of good features. Hmm… Next time someone goes to a human town, I'm going to get them to pick up some baby oil."
"Baby oil?" Yuliana's eyes widened. "Do you really think I'm pregnant that quickly?"
Leon jolted in surprise then relaxed and laughed. "No. That's not what the baby oil is for."
"Then what—" She cut herself off. A dark red stain crept into her olive cheeks and she started giggling. She hid her face from him, rolling away from him.
Leon pulled her against him, grinding himself against her full ass, but even as her giggles turned into a moan of desire, there came a quick bark from outside. He snarled, flipping to his feet. How dare anybody come here and interrupt him and his mate? Yuliana scrambled for her clothing as a dark-haired Shifter appeared in the cave entrance. A female. If she was a male, he would have attacked on the spot.
"Leave," Leon barked.
The Shifter winced. "I apologize for my intrusion… but the vampire prisoner has escaped."
Leon snarled. He jumped forward, his hands clenching. "What?"
"The ropes we tied him with were cut. He got away sometime during the night, and our searches have turned up nothing."
Leon drove his fist into the wall, unable to keep in his anger. "Who was so careless that they missed a knife on the vampire? Who searched him?"
The female dropped to her knees, whimpering. "I did."
"You?"
She flinched and nodded. "I searched him. His escape is my doing, and I will take full punishment for letting the spy free."
"Spy?" Yuliana spoke for the first time. Her dress was all ruffled and not on quite right. Her eyes were huge as she looked between Leon and the female. "What do you mean, spy? Zak was here because he thought I was being forced to be with you. He wasn't a spy!"
"He claimed he was here because he loved you," Leon said. He turned to his little vampire mate. She shivered, and he attempted to soften his gaze. He hated seeing her afraid. "It could be that he was telling the truth, but what seems more likely is that he was sent by Harold as a spy."
"But I'm here to stop the hostilities between our people." Yuliana stepped forward. "The king chose me to be your mate because he wants it to end. He doesn't want to fight anymore."
Leon' shoulders sagged as he looked sadly at her. "And I hope that it true. But if he was fully committed, why offer me a mate with such low status? I accepted to have a vampire mate hoping that it was true and that Harold does indeed want to be free of the violence among our people as much as I do. But I can't just pretend that you're enough motivation for him to cease all hostilities."
Yuliana trembled. She pressed her hands to her mouth, and her gaze dropped to the female Shifter still kneeling at the edge of the cave. She swallowed hard. "It was me."
Leon's brow furrowed.
"I gave Zak a knife. I thought that he was here because… I didn't want him to be a prisoner because of me!"
"You…" The happiness Leon had felt during the night disappeared.
As he stared at Yuliana, a thousand accusation flitted through her mind. Harold had sent her as a spy. She had released the other vampire with information of the Shifter's movements so that the vampires could now hunt them down. She had only told him now because she knew he would figure it out and wanted a cover, to maintain her ruse.
Except…
Except that was the most unbelievable thing he had ever heard. He had already been firmly convinced that it was sloppy work on the part of his Shifters. Why would she jeopardize her place here by revealing her role in the spy's escape in that case? And there was no faking the way she was looking at him, pleadingly, tears in her eyes, her normally olive tones pale. He felt his tense muscles relaxing again.
"You thought you were helping a friend. I don't believe you were acting maliciously. But we still have to take the other vampire's presence as a threat." Leon turned towards the female. "On your feet."
She stood, glancing between the Alpha and his mate. "What do we do now?"
"We head deeper into the woods. We disappear. And we will call all the Alphas together. We will find what sort of experiences they are encountering and discuss their take on this."
Leon glanced back at Yuliana again. It was dangerous for her to be among all the various packs. His pack members respected him, and he was a powerful Alpha in the meetings, but hatred of vampires ran strong. There would be any that would more than gladly see his new mate dead. He frowned. He would protect her. If any of them so much as looked at her wrong, he would tear them apart.
Still, as they headed back down the mountain, Leon wondered if it would be best to send Yuliana back to her parents until after this meeting. But even as he thought it, he rejected it. He couldn't bear to be parted from her–not now, not ever.
***
They kept up a death march pace all day and well into the night. Leon's back ached from carrying Yuliana by the time they were done. While he had no problems carrying her or people twice her size for a reasonable distance, the miles and miles of terrain they had crossed left him exhausted. When he finally called the pack to rest for the night, Yuliana silently set up the canvas lean-to and slipped into her sleeping roll without even eating.
Leon ate a hardy supper of jerky and oatmeal before joining her. In the bright light of the moon, he could see her shoulders shaking and gently put a hand on her. "Yuliana?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't know he was a spy."
"I know." He put an arm around her. "I'm not angry."
Yuliana was silent for a long moment before she turned over, tears on her face. "You don't have to be angry to send me away, or to make me a prisoner rather than your mate."
"I don't want to send you away, and you're not a prisoner. You are my mate. And you always will be." Leon brushed her hair from her face and gently kissed her. "Always."