Colorblind (Moonlight) (7 page)

“I tol’ her it ain’t gonna work but she’s wantin’ to make me want her. And you probably ain’t been here long enough to know their kind, but these ones look so much like us it make us forget sometimes they nothin’ but pale niggers.”

“So she ran away, you caught her, and she offered herself to you in exchange for your silence?”

Pleasant swallowed and nodded. “Yeah. You wantin’ me to take ’er back to the plantation and teach ’er a lesson?”

Leon stepped closer to the overseer, until he towered over the man. Pleasant grew more nervous. “I’m still confused, Mr. Pleasant. Why are you still on the plantation at this late hour of the night?”

His heart rate spiked again. “Hollis and I usually take turns spendin’ nights, in case the niggers try runnin’.”

“Of course you do,” Leon replied with a chilling little smile. Pleasant returned it, and looked over to Julia, who had silently pulled on her gown and now awaited judgment. “What you want me to do wit’ her?”

“Nothing,” Leon said slowly, which only made Pleasant’s eyebrows lift as far as his hairline. “I will deal with her.”

Pleasant was nodding and preparing to leave when Leon said clearly, “And Mr. Pleasant, I do not expect to find you chasing naked slaves again. Is that understood?”

The man turned back to him, passed a look to Julia before nodding quickly. “I had a moment o’ weakness, sir. I’ll beat ’em black and blue before they try to give ’emselves to me.”

Leon watched Pleasant disappear into the clearing and scowled. He would have to get rid of the man very soon. Pleasant angered him, but he aggravated his wolf entirely too much. His attempted rape of Julia, coupled with the fact that the man had interrupted his first time with Penny, had been enough cause to rip the bastard’s throat out. But he couldn’t. Not quite yet.

Julia….
He moved to where the young woman stood, shoulders sagging and eyes downcast as she waited for her punishment. When he stopped before her, she flinched.

“How long has this been happening?” Leon asked.

“Me runnin’ away, Massa?” she replied in a soft, bland voice.

“No.” He gritted his teeth. The poor woman had been conditioned to accept the blame for the sadistic pleasures of those who thought her inferior. “How long has Pleasant been using you?”

She blinked up at him in shock before she lowered her eyes and shook her head. “I dunno what you’s talkin’ about, Massa—”

“Julia,” Leon began firmly. “I have no intention of hurting you. I know that you were not running away and that you were brought here against your will.”

Her gaze darted behind him as if expecting to see Pleasant and Leon said in a soft but firm voice, “He won’t hurt you again.”

Gray eyes locked on his for long moments. Leon knew she was trying to decide if she should trust him.

“How long, Julia?”

“’Bout a week afta you stop lockin’ us up, Massa,” Julia said softly, a little catch in her voice. Leon’s brows furrowed and she continued, “Massa Thorn used to lock us up every night so we can’t get out and nobody get in. When you stop, he start comin’ around at night, makin’ me go with him….”

Leon nodded once, unable to formulate words as anger tore through him. On another slave plantation, this might be normal, but while he was master, it was not going to happen. In fact, he’d thought he was doing the house slaves a favor by not locking them up like animals. He now saw that while he was treating them a bit more like human beings, Pleasant had been using it to his advantage, raping Julia and Luna knew who else!

“Has he done this to anyone else?” Leon asked through gritted teeth.

Julia shook her head and replied in disgust, “’E only wants me.”

“Why?”

“Says I look most white,” Julia replied, bitterness obvious in her voice.

“Would you prefer that I lock the door to your room at night?” Leon asked.

Julia’s gaze darted up to his and he caught a glimpse of hope before she lowered her eyes. “We’s your slaves, Massa. You tell us what you do.”

“I’m asking you, Julia.”

“Yes, Massa,” she murmured. “It make us sleep more easy.”

“Go back to the plantation, Julia.” She seemed anxious to get away and was already moving by the time he finished speaking. “And if something like this happens again, you let me know. No matter who it is, you come to me.”

She paused and looked over her shoulder at him. A brief nod later and she disappeared into the trees.

***

Penny stepped from the bushes and shifted to her human form. Her full breasts heaved as she glared at him. “You should have let me kill him! It could have been blamed on an animal.”

Leon watched her with a mixture of lust and confusion. His brain was still fuzzy when it came to her, as he could still remember the feel of her body yielding to his. He took an unconscious step toward her, before shaking his head and taking two back. He had to remember his purpose, remember why being with her would harm that purpose.

She eyed him curiously. “He won’t stop, Leon. He’ll stay away from Julia for a few days, perhaps weeks, but he’ll find someone else. That’s how they are. That’s how they always will be.”

“They?” Leon queried, trying to keep his mind off how easy it would be to continue where they’d left off. Penny
was
already naked. It would take only seconds to remove his own clothing and press her to the ground. He shifted uncomfortably and forced himself to look away from the dark triangle of curls that beckoned.

“Pleasant, Thorn, Ryder: white men who think themselves entitled to any slave on any plantation.”

“Thorn?” Leon frowned as she mentioned her previous master. “How was your relationship with Adam Thorn?”

Penny swallowed, a bit nervously, and blinked. She didn’t speak for long moments, which only piqued his interest. Leon tried to enter her mind, But she’d closed herself off to him. He’d taught her well.

“As any slave’s relationship with her master,” Penny replied easily. Her tone and expression were at odds, however. Her face was a cold mask of…hatred.

“Tell me about Adam Thorn.” He moved toward her slowly, watching her expressions as he did so.

“What is there to tell?” Penny replied. “He was my master, much like you are, and I was his slave.”

“No, not like me,” Leon corrected, slipping a hand to her cheek. She turned her face into it and stared up at him from lowered lids. “Tell me about Adam Thorn, Penny.”

She closed her eyes and Leon stepped closer, gently caressing her cheek with his thumb.

“He was a few years older than I and he was raised, much like his father,, to believe himself a god on this plantation. He enjoyed…hurting people, hurting slaves.”

“Did he hurt you?” Leon asked, surprised at the low and controlled tone of his voice. His heart pounded angrily in his chest. Had Thorn hurt her? Was that why the man had told Jolie that Penny was difficult? Because instinct told her to fight him?

“Not directly.” She released a deep breath. “He enjoyed hurting the slave girls especially, much like Pleasant does.”

Leon understood. Like the generally unpleasant Pleasant, Adam Thorn had a thing for raping the slave girls. He liked the dead man less and less. “He tried a few times with me—”

Penny broke off when Leon growled. She froze and watched him. Moments passed before Leon regained control, before he could stop thinking of Adam Thorn attempting to take advantage of Penny. Gradually, he began caressing her cheek again, and even managed to speak—growl, “Continue.”

“I was always stronger than Adam,” Penny murmured, watching him carefully. Instinct told her Leon was angry, that an angry Leon was a very dangerous creature. But instinct also told her that she was safe. That even if enraged, he would not touch her in anger. “And I always escaped him, but never Pleasant.”

His hand stilled on her face, but she continued, “Adam never beat me. Perhaps he feared doing so, or he didn’t know how to use the whip, but Pleasant always made up for it.”

“He had Pleasant beat you?” he snarled. “For refusing to allow him to rape you?”

She nodded. “My suffering was small compared to that of others, Leon.”

“Jolie told me Thorn was going to sell you to Ryder?”

Penny pulled away immediately, putting space between them.

“Jolie?” she muttered in disgust. “I’m sure she would know.” She turned away from Leon, looking across the bayou to the plantation house in the distance, the one that belonged to Ryder.

“What does that mean?” Even as he followed the conversation, Leon couldn’t help but appreciate how beautiful she was from behind. Her shoulders were narrow, tapering down delicately, her back long and smooth, flaring out to shapely hips and a lovely, round rear, before descending into extremely long legs.

“She was always his favorite. Something of a pet in which he confided.”

“Confided?”

“She was a tattler, Leon,” Penny said clearly. “Whenever she came around the slave quarters, we knew one of us would be beaten. She was only looking to find a reason.”

“And Ryder? Do you know why he wants to purchase you?”

Penny shrugged and ran a hand over her drying curls. “Adam wanted me gone. I wasn’t…
compliant.
No doubt he offered Ryder a low price to take me off of his hands.”

Stepping closer, Leon slipped a hand around her midriff and held her. His wolf demanded that he take her, but he ignored the animal. Another pressing question was on his mind, one that had plagued him from the moment he’d learned of Penny’s relationship with Penny. “How did Adam Thorn die?”

Penny tensed in his arms. He leaned down and kissed her shoulder reassuringly.

“He was riding at night. His horse threw him,” Penny answered slowly. “That’s what we were told.”

“Why did his horse throw him?”

She tried to pull away but Leon tightened his grip, securing her without causing discomfort.

“Release me,” she hissed.

“Penny, I would cut off my own arm and leg before I would see any harm come to you.” He breathed the words against her hair. “Do you believe me?” When she didn’t reply, he said, “My mind is always open to you. See for yourself.”

She slipped in cautiously, relaxing when she realized he spoke the truth.
Why?

Because you are mine, Penny, as I am yours.

Before she could follow with further questions, he repeated his own.
Why did Thorn’s horse throw him?

“Something spooked him.”
She released a deep breath and spoke directly into his mind.
It was a night much like this one—warm, humid, dark—and my wolf was restless. I only wanted a brief run, but he saw me leave the slave quarters, and chased me. He thought to run me down with his horse. Just before the horse drew near, I shifted to my wolf. Adam was thrown into a tree; his neck snapped
. Once more, she inhaled deep.
If the fall hadn’t killed him, I would have.

Leon tightened his grip on her. In that moment, words, spoken or otherwise, were not necessary. He understood, and linked to him as she was, she knew.

What did you mean, that you are mine and I am yours?

You are my mate, Penny.
His lips brushed her neck and she shivered, feeling her nipples grow taut even as her center tingled.
And I am yours.

What does that mean?

The hand at her midriff drew up slightly, until it was barely a few inches away from her breast, before lowering once more.

“Every
werewolf
has a mate, another who is their other half in all things. Some spend entire lifetimes without finding them, and end up mating for other reasons.”

What kinds of reasons?

Politics, power, wealth, prestige….

So a mate is like a husband?

He laughed softly.
No, a mate is much more. Unlike humans, we mate for life. Unless your mate dies, you are forever joined to one
were,
Males are the protectors. Females the nurturers.

And I’m your mate?

He pulled her closer and she bit back a moan as his hardness press into her back. Her insides tingled with the memory of it moving into her body.

Yes. You are mine.

Penny turned in his arms and looked into his chiseled face. Leon Arnaud was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen, and every day he seemed to grow even more so to her.

Is there a ceremony? Like with a wedding?

Sometimes, but it’s not necessary. She shook her head in confusion and he continued. It requires a joining of bodies, minds, and souls.

Penny looked away briefly.
Bodies, minds and souls
?
Tonight, when we almost…would that have been it? The mating?

Leon’s gaze held her transfixed for the span of many heartbeats before he nodded once.
I cannot take you, Penny, without mating you.

Warmth seeped through her body and she looked to his lips. Before she could think on it, she pushed onto her toes and kissed him. She heard a growl, and was unsure which of them had released it—she didn’t care. All she cared about was his strong arms wrapped around her as he kissed her back.

Sharp teeth grazed her lips as his canines descended. Penny kissed him harder, rubbing her aching body against his. She tugged her lips away in frustration and began to pull his shirt up, running her fingers against his warm, hard flesh.

Leon groaned, as if in pain, moments before his hand caught hers and he drew away. He suddenly stepped away, looking everywhere but at her. Confused, her breathing harsh, her skin tingling, Penny watched him. Moving forward, she began, “I don’t understand—”

Leon took another couple of steps away and Penny froze, her lustful haze dissolving. She crossed her arms over her breasts, feeling very naked suddenly, and waited.

I told you if I take you, I would mate you.
His eyes finally lifted to hers.
If I mate you while on this plantation, it could jeopardize…everything.

Her brows furrowed. “How?”

You don’t understand yet because you weren’t raised among our kind.
He gave her his back and ran a hand through his hair.
Return to the slave quarters, Penny
.