The Family
LUCIEN WALKED THE small pier to the end where he stopped and examined the lake.
His children followed.
He didn’t speak for long moments and Julian and Isobel astutely left him to his silent contemplation of the serene water.
Finally, quietly and menacingly, Lucien spoke to the water. “Explain.”
“He came to see me, Father,” Isobel replied swiftly.
“And?” Lucien prompted.
“I thought—” Isobel started but stopped when Lucien’s head turned and his eyes sliced to his daughter.
“No,” he said softly, “you didn’t.”
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. 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 in to her every whim. It was a rare occurrence when anyone didn’t give in to 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 carried on. “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? Before 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 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 was the most gentle mortal he’d known, 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.
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’d 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.
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 before finishing, “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 confidante 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. 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.”
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 inquired, “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.
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 and 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 back door 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. 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 family 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 but 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 in to 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, he slid his arms 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 begin. “Are we actually going to speak? Or are we going to stand here staring at each other?”
Lucien relaxed, 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.”
She looked into his eyes with interest until the last. When he mentioned Cressida, he saw something cut through her features before she wiped her face blank. And what he saw cutting through features he did not like. He did not like that she felt it and he did not like that her feeling it meant he felt it as well.
“Leah, sweetheart, what we had was a very long time ago,” he assured her and this was true, for mortals. For vampires, seeing as he ended the physical side of his relationship with Cressida only fifty years ago, it was not.
“Okay,” she said quietly.
“There is nothing there,” he told her.
“Then why is she at our house?”
Our house.
Until the sun falls from the sky.
“I mean, um . . .” Leah went on, “I don’t know how vampires roll, but the ex isn’t normally in on surprise family visits, unless that family is a little bit weird.”
Lucien again grinned. “Vampires are the same way.”
“Well then?” she prompted.
“Cressida is . . .” he searched for a word, “unusual.”
Her eyes slid away and she muttered, “Great.”
He gave her a squeeze and regained her gaze.
“It is your home, Leah.” He dipped his face closer to hers and stated, “Our home. She will respect me in it and I will make certain she respects you.”
He watched her brows draw together. “She wouldn’t?”
“Cressida is unpredictable.”
“Great part two,” she again muttered.
“I’ll need you to have patience with her, my pet. And I’ll need you be cautious around her. She will attempt to goad you. Take the high road.”
Leah stared up at him and whispered, “Uh . . . something to know about me. I’m not very familiar with the high road.”
This time Lucien smiled. “I am aware of that, but today, you’ll need to embark on an adventure and discover it.”
She smiled back, humor lighting her eyes, making them luminescent, as she whispered, “Embark on an adventure.”
Lucien very much wanted to savor the amusement he gave to Leah but he didn’t have the time.
So he continued, “Cressida will be irritating. She will say things, perhaps even do things that might be maddening or even hurtful. Do your best to ignore her. I’ll deal with her and I promise to talk through with you anything you may have questions about after she leaves.” He waited for her nod, received it and went on, “My father is another matter.”
Her head tipped to the side. “Your father?”
“We do not share a close relationship,” he disclosed.
“Oh,” she whispered.
“Not even slightly,” he went on.
“Oh,” she repeated on a whisper.
“I do not like him. I do not respect him. And I do not trust him. He has reached out to Isobel and therefore she brought him to our home. I’ve had words with Bel. But I cannot know his intentions. He may be charming. He may be condescending. Either way, you must treat him with respect no matter what.”
“Okay.” She was still whispering.
Lucien gave her another squeeze. “No matter what, Leah. I’ll do my best to control him, but like Cressida, he’s uncontrollable and unpredictable. The only thing I can ask is that you control your reactions.”
“I’ll control my reactions, Lucien.”
After her immediate response, he studied her again. The inquisitiveness was gone. The warmth muted. The concern evident.
He did not like this but he nodded.
“I also ask you not to share anything about you and me,” he went on.
Leah blinked before she asked, “What?”
“Nothing about us, Leah. They know I live with you. They know you are my concubine. They know I hold deep regard for you. Any personal information is not theirs to have. Not your nightmares. None of your abilities. Not what you are to me.”
He felt her body stiffen and she asked quietly, “What I am to you?”
“That we’re lovers.”
Understandable confusion suffused her face and she started, “But—”
“It is none of their concern.”
“Of course not,” she replied. “But won’t they know that already?”
“They would make that assumption,” he lied. “I simply wish you to avoid any discussion about it. Any at all.”
Her head tipped to the side again and the confusion in her features increased. “Why would they discuss it?”
“Again, Cressida and my father are uncontrollable and unpredictable. They may bring it up to provoke you. Don’t be drawn in, and if I ask you to leave the room, you do it. Immediately.”
She stared at him a moment before she admitted, “This is kind of freaking me out, Lucien.”
He gave her another squeeze and his neck bent so he could touch his mouth too briefly to hers. When he lifted his head, he held her eyes.
“You feel safe with me,” he reminded her, her lids lowered slowly for a languid blink he liked very much and she nodded. “Then you must trust me because I promise you, my pet, I will keep you safe.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
Lucien sighed.
Then he stated, “Let’s go home.”
“Okay,” she repeated.
He touched his mouth to hers again and let her go only to take her hand and draw her to the front door. He knew she turned back to the windows to wave to her family and Avery.
He did not.
He took her out to his Porsche and took her home.