Until the Sun Falls from the Sky (55 page)

“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, 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 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.”

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.