Until the Sun Falls From the Sky

Chapter Twenty-Three The Vow

My eyes on the television set, I pulled the two scrunched pillows I was holding deeper into my body. I was curled tight around them, my neck bent, my cheek resting on the rough material.

The TV wasn’t set to loud. This was because I wanted to hear what was happening outside. Not that I could get away if Lucien caught up with me. I just wanted the half a second I’d have to prepare myself to die.

But my mind wasn’t on the TV.

My mind, as it had been for days, was on everything.

Would I be able to sleep that night, alone in a bed in a hotel room after spending weeks sleeping every night curled into a vampire?

Where would I go tomorrow? North, south, east, west? Canada? Mexico?

Should I take the chance to phone my family? I’d left nine days ago and it was likely they’d been informed I’d escaped and they were probably worried about me. Not to mention, it would be my last chance to speak to them if Lucien was enraged when he caught up with me, went the way of the vampire and took my life. I clearly didn’t know him (at all) but what I now knew of him, I convinced myself he would go the way of the vamp.

And lastly, wondering how much time I had and if I should just stop moving, let him catch me and be done with it.

I was ready to die and this was messing with my head too. It was sick and crazy but I was tired, hungry, heartbroken, on the run and I knew to my soul my future was fucked. I’d fallen hard for a vampire who’d spent months playing me against me. And I was just so done with it.

But weirdly, considering what Lucien had done to me, I had to admit that a lot of my headspace was taken up with worry about things his father had said. Things that meant Lucien was in danger in a variety of ways. I shouldn’t care, I knew it.

But I did.

I was totally messed up.

And then there was the incessant beating myself up. Asking myself why I was so stupid. Asking myself when would I learn.

I tried to cut myself some slack. He was Lucien and there weren’t a lot of men like him (in fact, none). He’d worked hard at it, vowed to break me. And a vampire vow was a bond. So, obviously, he pulled out all the stops to succeed.

But I couldn’t cut myself any slack. My decisions were my own. My capitulation was on me. My flight and the consequences of it were mine to bear. I knew it would hurt my family which made it harder for me not to call them. But I told myself, if what Etienne said was true, it might be time for the Buchanan women to get out of the concubine business.

I stared unseeing at the TV. This was the ninth hotel room I’d been in. I splurged this time. I’d stayed in crappy places off the beaten track the last eight nights. But I was tired. I’d had little sleep. This place wasn’t great and it certainly wasn’t the luxury I’d grown accustomed to. It was old but at least it was clean. I needed clean. I needed sleep.

Hunger pains gnawed at my gut but I knew I couldn’t eat. I’d tried. The thought of it made me nauseous and the one time I tried to eat something it made me flat out sick. So I stopped trying.

I just drove wherever my hands on the steering wheel took me. I drank loads of coffee to stay awake. Then I found a place to settle in and pray for sleep.

But sleep eluded me.

I was so damned tired. I’d never been that tired. That hungry.

I’d never been that heartbroken.

I missed him. I missed my vampire who would never be mine. I missed him every second of every day I was away from him.

And I hated myself for it.

I felt the tears gather in my eyes and I blinked them away, trying to concentrate on the TV screen.

This didn’t work. I knew it but I didn’t give up. Every night, the tears came and no matter how I’d struggle to beat them, they’d always silently fall.

If this was a romance novel and he wasn’t Lucien, I could believe we were lifemates. My tears and heartbreak weren’t about knowing I was on the run from the man I loved who would find me and kill me. They were about losing the man I loved (see? Messed up!). I’d never felt this way when a relationship ended with one of my other boyfriends. I didn’t even know you could feel this badly. I didn’t know this kind of pain existed.

I wished I still didn’t know.

I was cold. I was wearing a pale pink cotton nightgown that fell to my knees and had a wide v-neck and short sleeves. I’d stopped and bought a few and some underwear so I could throw away the stuff Lucien gave me. To try to warm up, I curled my knees tighter to my chest. I was too exhausted even to move to get under the covers.

The tears slid out the sides of my eyes making the TV screen blurry and I sighed.

I wondered, if I actually managed to get to sleep, if I’d have the nightmare. I hadn’t thought of that when I took off and each night this thought also served to keep me awake. But in the snatches of broken sleep I was able to get, it didn’t come.

I knew what this meant. We’d been connected even if it was in a fucked up way.

Now we were not.

Who would have thought I’d ever want that dream back?

It stunk but I did. I wanted any connection to him. Even a connection that might bizarrely kill me.

Jeez, I was messed up. Totally.

I sighed again, the tears slowed and my eyelids started to feel heavy.

Yes. Sleep, please. I needed sleep.

The tears stopped and my eyelids drooped.

Yes, sleep.

I blinked slowly then closed my eyes.

Then, thankfully, nothing.

I woke and instantly knew he was there because I could feel his fingers wrapped around my ankle.

Knowing I wouldn’t succeed but doing it anyway, I tensed for flight.

Then I felt my ankle jerked. Suddenly, my body was on its back and the weight of Lucien was on top of me. He had his long fingers around my jaw, his palm warm against my throat.

I’d fallen asleep with the lights on. I could see him right there, his face an inch away, his eyes filled with heat.

Hungry.

I felt my heart hammering in my chest, fear burning through me, my fingers and legs tingling.

“Leah,” he whispered, my name coarse on his lips.

I didn’t speak. I waited for whatever would befall me. It sucked but I was ready.

Nine days. It took him nine days to find me. I was surprised and impressed. Not impressed in a good way but still that was pretty unbelievable.

“I haven’t fed in nine days, sweetling,” he murmured.

Sweetling.

Still persisting in this charade when we both knew it was way over.

God, I hated him.

But this surprised me. I vaguely wondered why he hadn’t fed. Then again, if he was going to drain me dry, he’d need to be super hungry.

“Sweetheart, I need to feed,” he whispered.

I swallowed, my throat moving against his palm, my mind hazy with exhaustion, wondering why it seemed he was asking for permission to kill me.

Maybe it was some crazy vampire tradition.

I did the only thing I could do. And anyway, I might as well get it over with.

I turned my head to the side, exposing my neck, his hand moving with me.

I just hoped he anesthetized me. I didn’t want to die but I really didn’t want to experience that agonizing pain before doing it.

I sensed his head dip but I definitely felt his tongue move up my neck.

I licked my lips. That felt good and I was pleased he didn’t intend to hurt me unduly before he killed me. But as good as it felt (and it felt great, as always, which also sucked) I wouldn’t allow myself to react.

Then his tongue moved down.

I felt the numbness then I felt him feeding.

My eyes closed slowly and I finally found it fortunate I was so tired. I didn’t have the energy or strength to react no matter how good it felt.

His hand moved. His thumb tenderly gliding over my lips, his fingers drifting over my cheek, down my jaw, down to wrap around the side of my neck and pull me up as he deepened the suction.

God, I used to love it when he did that. And even right then, as exhausted as I was, I felt a faint tingle in my nipples and between my legs.

His thumb moved, stroking my throat and that, I thought, was so Lucien. Even while killing me, he was playing the game, pretending gentleness, giving me something beautiful.

My eyes opened slowly and just as slowly closed again. God, I was so exhausted. I wasn’t going to fight no matter how futile it would be. I had nothing left in me. I wasn’t even going to stay awake through my death.

This, I decided, was probably good.

Lucien’s weight, his heat, his feeding, his big, warm hand at my neck, his thumb stroking soothingly, his other arm wrapped around me tight, my eyelids fluttered one last time.

So he’d give me a beautiful death.

That was Lucien too.

I let go, allowed the glory of his feeding to overwhelm me then I drifted into oblivion.

“It may take a few days. I need to see to Leah.”

As I swam toward consciousness, I heard Lucien’s deep voice saying these words quietly.

Then I heard, “I don’t know. What I do know is she hasn’t been seeing to herself. Nine days and she’s lost an alarming amount of weight. Her color is not good, there are shadows under her eyes and she fell asleep during a feeding.” There was a pause and then, “Yes, Teffie, during.”

I struggled against the weight of the fatigue that still held me in its grip. This was aided by the fact I was held snug and tight to Lucien’s side, part of my body on top of his, my cheek resting on his chest. Lucien kept talking.

“I’ll be moving her to a decent hotel, feeding her, getting her rest. Then we’ll be talking. I don’t want to start the journey home until I’m satisfied she’s fit for it. So hold them. I’ll deal with them when I return.” Another pause then, “If you wish. Play with them all you like.”

What was he talking about?

And more importantly, why was I alive and being held snug and tight to Lucien?

My eyes opened then I blinked.

Lucien’s arm around my back shifted, his hand drifting up my spine, his fingers tangling in my hair.

“She’s awake, Teffie. I’ll phone you later when I know more.”

His fingers moved, twisting a lock and my heart skipped a beat.

“Right. We’ll speak soon.”

Then I heard a beep and I knew he was done.

I had a second to process this before Lucien shifted. He ended settled on his side, his other arm going around me, pulling me up so my head was not on his chest but on the pillow and I was eye-to-eye with him.

God, his eyes were beautiful. Nine days and I thought I remembered everything but I forgot just how beautiful his eyes were.

“You slept deep, sweetling. How do you feel?” he asked gently, his fingers still playing in my hair, his other arm holding me close to his heat.

“Uh… what’s going on?” I whispered cautiously.

“You’re about to tell me how you feel,” he replied.

“Well… uh…” I trailed off.

He hadn’t killed me. In fact, looking at him, he didn’t look angry at all. He looked like Lucien except better. Way better. His eyes filled with concern and a warmth so deep I’d never seen anything like it. His face was soft. His voice was gentle and quiet.

Was this part of the taming? Your prey figured it out, took off and you got to go after her and do it all over again?

Oh God, I hoped that wasn’t it. Like, I really, really hoped that wasn’t it. Seriously, I preferred it if he’d kill me.

“When’s the last time you ate?” Lucien asked when I trailed off and didn’t start again.

“You mean, ate and kept something down?” I asked back and watched his eyes flash and his mouth go hard.

Oh boy.

“Yes, the last time you ate and kept it down,” he replied, his voice now tight but somehow not menacing.

“Well, the night before…” Oh shit. I didn’t want to go where I had to go. Well, I had to say it because I knew he wouldn’t let it go. “The night before I took off.”

“Ten days,” he murmured, surprising me when he looked thoughtful, not angry at my mention of my escape, his arms going tight, his eyes moving over my face then they locked on mine. “That was foolish, my pet.”

Okay. Now. Seriously.

What was happening?

“We need to get you food,” he declared. “Do you have the strength to go with me to a restaurant or do you wish for me to go and bring something back? If the latter, tell me what you’d like. And I’ll warn you, you’ve slept twelve straight hours, not counting however long you were asleep before I found you. It’s not morning. It’s one in the afternoon.”

Learning this, I felt my eyes go wide as my lips parted. Then I felt my stomach flutter when he took in this look, his face again went soft and his fingers stopped playing in my hair and fisted gently in it.

Still, he’d just asked me what I wished and inferred he’d go off and do as I asked.

Was this a new tactic?

“Uh…” I mumbled, not alert enough to process this, defend myself, figure out what was happening. Not alert enough for anything.

He rolled me so I was on my back, he was looming over me but his torso was deep in mine and his face was super close.

“Leah, my love, we cannot delay in getting you fed and rested. We need to get back home. There is much we need to discuss but more, there is much that needs to be done. Teffie and Cosmo have captured Katrina and Marcello. The Council has sanctioned their torture and burning and I need to get back and see to that. So now I need to find you food, feed you, get you in a decent bed with sheets that don’t feel like cardboard, you need to rest, we need to talk then we need to go home.”

Okay, there was a lot there.

First, he’d called me his “love”. He’d never done that. Never, ever, ever.

Second, The Council sanctioned torture and burning?

Third, Lucien was going to “see to that”?

“What’s going on?” I repeated.

“Leah –”

“Lucien,” I cut him off. “What is going on?”

“We’ll talk about it later, after you’ve eaten, you have some of your strength back and we’ve moved to a different hotel.”

“We’ll talk about it now.”

“Later, Leah.”

“Now, Lucien!” I snapped, still fatigued, definitely, but not so fatigued I was going to fall for his games. Not again. And he needed to know that. “I want to know what’s going on, now, not later. I don’t want to die ‘at home’ as you put it. I don’t understand why you’re delaying it. I don’t get why you’re still playing me. Just do it. Drain me and get on with your life.”

His brows shot up. “Drain you?”

“Yes,” I hissed. “I knew when I left that you’d hunt me and I knew leaving you gave you the right to feed until I was dead. So what are you waiting for?”

His brows knitted, his eyes narrowed but contradictory to the ominous look stamped on his features, his hand left my hair to frame the side of my face.

And furthering his contradictions, his voice was soft and sweet when he replied, “I’m annoyed with you for making the very unwise decision to attempt to escape me considering the danger you knew was inherent being away from me when you might dream. Not to mention, you and Edwina had been attacked by vampires who stated vile intentions so you also knew the dangers were not singular but many. Nevertheless, it would be reckless of me to punish you for carrying through this rash decision by killing you, my pet, considering that would significantly fuck with my plans for spending eternity with you.”

I stopped breathing.

Yes, stopped breathing.

Entirely.

So it came out in a gust of air when I forced a, “What?”

Lucien smiled and he used his whole face to do it. I’d never seen him smile that openly and the effect was staggering.

Then he dipped his face closer to mine and whispered, “I plan to spend eternity with you.”

I stared.

Then I whispered back, “You do?”

He nodded. “I do.”

“I… I…”

Oh my God!

Was he serious? Or was this another game?

“How? Why? When did you…? But you can’t,” I stammered.

“I can,” he replied.

“But, it’s against the rules,” I reminded him.

“The rules have changed,” he informed me.

Oh boy. Here we go again. Lucien doing whatever he wanted to do and fuck the consequences.

“Lucien –”

Then he wasn’t lying on top of me and I wasn’t on my back.

He was on his ass in the bed and I was straddling him. One of his arms was tight around my back holding my body close to his. His other hand had sifted in my hair, cupping the back of my head and holding my face super close to his.

The instant he got us in this position, before I processed I was in it and therefore was by no means ready for what he was going to say next (not that I ever would be), he stated, “I’m in love with you, sweetheart.”

Oh my God!

Was he…?

No.

No!

“Don’t,” I whispered, pain piercing through me and I watched Lucien blink.

“Don’t?” he whispered back.

“Don’t do it again. Don’t play me,” I explained quietly and I watched the gentleness fade from his features as fury infused them.

I braced.

“I’m in love with you,” he repeated.

“Don’t,” I whispered, that word breaking in the middle and his hold on me tightened mightily.

“Leah… I’m… in… love with you,” he growled, I opened my mouth but his arms squeezed so hard all breath left me. “He lied to you. My father lied. I told you I did not respect him and you knew he was not a man to be respected. Eating lunch with him, you figured it out. And at lunch, he was on his best behavior. During the attack, he treated you to exactly the vampire he really is. He lied, Leah. Edwina told me what he said and what he said to you about what’s between you and me, every bit of it, was a fucking lie.”

I wanted to believe that.

I really did.

But…

Before I could even think through my “but”, Lucien sensed there was one and kept talking.

“There are things I’ll explain more fully when I’ve seen to the woman I love but for now, The Council has amended the Immortal and Mortal Agreement. Vampires are again free to take mortal mates. And I’m taking my mortal as mate. You love me, I love you, we’re connected, what we have is beautiful and that’s all it’ll ever be. For eternity. Until the end of days. Until the sun falls from the sky, all you and I will share is beauty.”

I felt my heart leap, tears fill my eyes and hope suffuse my system.

But what came from my mouth was simply a whispered, breathy, “Please.”

I didn’t even know why I said it but Lucien did.

So he replied in a voice filled with tenderness, “Yes, my love. I’m not lying. I am not playing you. Swear to God, this is all truth.” He pulled me even closer. “I love you, Leah. I’ve loved you for twenty years and I’ll love you for eternity. My beautiful Leah, listen closely. What I say is pure truth. And on this truth, you have my vow.”

The tears slid out of my eyes, coursing down my cheeks. I knew Lucien saw them but his eyes never left mine.

And mine didn’t leave his.

I looked deep. I felt his arms around me, his big, strong body and I paid close attention to the wonder of his vow sinking deep.

He loved me.

The Mighty Vampire Lucien loved me.

Oh God. That felt great.

I pushed my hands that were trapped between us up until my fingers could curl around his neck and I whispered, “You can be bossy and annoying. I can just be annoying. We’re going to fight. So my guess is, we’ll clash, like a lot. Therefore it will be awesome but it won’t be an eternity of just beauty.”

I barely got the last syllable out before his hand at my head crushed my mouth down to his. Our lips opened, our tongues dueled and then I was on my back giving everything to my vampire and experiencing the beauty of finally, finally getting everything from my vampire in return.

And, let me tell you, it was amazing.

After a long time, he lifted his head and I dazedly opened my eyes to see his heated but gentle, searing into me.

“Right. That’s done,” he declared. “Now tell me, what do you fucking want to eat?”

I stared up at my vampire.

Then I burst out laughing.

I blinked the sleep away hearing from a distance Lucien talking and I knew he was again on the phone.

I stared across the sheets that did not, by a long shot, feel like cardboard.

Lucien had fed me. After our kiss, suddenly ravenous in a way that didn’t mingle with nausea, I’d asked for burritos. Lucien told me burritos were out of the question considering I should have something bland and filled with vitamins and energy in my stomach after not eating for ten days. I told him I had a craving for burritos. He told me there was no way in hell I was getting burritos. I asked him why he asked me what I wanted when he was going to get me what he thought I should have anyway. He kissed me until I was dazed, left me in bed and then came back fifteen minutes later with a bunch of bananas and a jar of chunky peanut butter.

I sat cross-legged in bed, using a plastic knife to gouge out peanut butter and glop it on my two bananas, eating them all the while glaring at Lucien who was seeing to the not taxing chore of packing up my things.

I didn’t admit to him I loved bananas and peanut butter and it tasted awesome. I also didn’t admit it filled me up and made me feel human for the first time in days.

I dressed. Lucien dragged my stuff to his Porsche. We got in and he drove us forty-five minutes to the nearest city. Upon entering the city, like it had a homing beacon and Lucien was the receptor, he guided us straight to what had to be the most exclusive hotel in the city. He valet parked, grabbed one of my bags and his only bag and walked us in. He then proceeded to check us into the presidential suite which had its own butler (no joke!).

We took the elevator up and Lucien let us in. It was phenomenal. I lived in a mansion and the man who loved me was a billionaire and still, I’d never seen anything so opulent.

Lucien ordered me to take a shower and get in bed. I told Lucien I wanted to explore our sumptuous suite. He repeated he wanted me in the shower then in bed. I told him it would take ten whole minutes for me to look around so he should just keep his pants on. Approximately three second later both Lucien and I were naked, in the shower and he was turning on the water.

At least I got to see the bathroom before he led me to the bedroom and gave me one of his long sleeved tees. He then made a point by digging through my bags and depositing my new nighties right in the trash. His point being discount department store nighties were not good enough for his Leah. I rolled my eyes but I didn’t protest. They were cute and comfy. What they were not was the finest silk and lace. He then ordered me to bed.

Unfortunately, after a long, hot shower with Lucien, I had nothing in reserve.

I pulled on his tee, crawled in bed and slept.

This brought me to now. It was dark in the room but there was light coming around the not entirely closed door to the sitting room.

I felt rested but again starved. Tossing back the covers, I listened to his murmurings as I hit the bathroom. It was bigger than the living room in my old condo.

Wow. Really, this suite was it. I wanted to live there.

I did my thing, wandered out through the bedroom and to the door.

Before I got the door open, I knew Lucien’s eyes were on it. I knew this because when the door was open they were on me. He was sitting in the chair at the desk. His cell held to his ear, he lifted up his chin to me then gestured with his hand to his lap.

I wandered his way, pushing up the sleeves of his tee.

When I got within reaching distance, Lucien reached. Then my ass was in his lap and his arm was wrapped around me.

“No, I’ll do it,” he said into the phone as I settled in, cheek to his shoulder, my forehead pressed to his neck. His arm got tighter. “I understand,” he went on. “But it will be me who hunts him.”

I sighed.

Lucien’s arm got tighter.

Then his voice was quiet when he continued, “Julian, I know this attack was perpetrated on the family. And yes, normally you would be correct that every member of the family is within their rights to exact vengeance. And you know I appreciate your and Bel’s show of loyalty. You both can be there when I deal with him. But it will be me and only me who hunts Etienne.”

Well, the good part of that was that Julian and Isobel had their father and my backs and clearly thought of me as family.

The bad part was that Lucien was intending to hunt down his father. I wasn’t entirely surprised by this. He loved me and I loved that he loved me. I was certain it was partly about that. But his father had touched me, scared me and was just plain old mean to me. I knew Lucien enough that I knew he wouldn’t let that be.

I didn’t like Etienne. He scared the beejeezus out of me. Still, hunting him down, torturing and burning him was pretty extreme.

“Right,” Lucien continued. “Leah is up, she needs to eat then I need to feed. I’m turning my cell off now. I want no further interruptions tonight. I’ll phone you tomorrow.”

He needed to feed and he wanted no further interruptions.

I liked this idea.

“Goodnight, Julian. My love to Bel,” he muttered, I heard a beep then I saw his phone clatter on the desk.

I lifted my head to look at him.

“Is it time to talk?” I asked.

“No,” he answered, reached out to the hotel phone on the desk, grabbed the receiver and put it to his ear. Then he stated, “We’re ready to order dinner.”

Then, without another word, he put it down.

“That was kind of abrupt,” I told him.

“I don’t have the time or inclination to befriend a man I’ll see occasionally the length of our stay here and never see again. You’re rested. Your color is back. You’re sitting in my lap with no underwear on. We were separated for nine days and reunited for one, the vast majority of which you’ve been sleeping. I want you fed and you’ll eat sitting next to me not wearing any underwear. Then I want to feed and do it while I’m inside you. You need your strength. That, at the moment, is all I have time for.”

I was blinking at him, half turned on (okay, fully turned on) when out of nowhere a man wearing a spiffy hotel uniform walked into the room.

Lucien wrapped me tight in both arms and looked up at him.

“Dinner, sir?” he prompted.

“Thank you,” Lucien replied then launched into it. “A French baton. Pâté fois gras with truffles. Two fillet mignons rare with béarnaise sauce. Sautéed potatoes. Fine greens. Rolls. A bottle of red, a Bordeaux. This followed with two chocolate crème brûlées and a bottle of Moët.”

It seemed while I was sleeping that Lucien had familiarized himself with the menu and it was clear he was in the mood for French food. This was good since all that sounded great.

“Yes sir,” the hotel butler murmured.

“Bring the crème brûlées and Moët half an hour after you serve the main and then don’t disturb us for the rest of the night.”

He nodded, muttering, “As you wish,” then moved out of the room.

Okay, that was still abrupt but one could not say this presidential suite business wasn’t totally cool.

On that thought we were up, me held in Lucien’s arms and he was striding across the room. I barely got my arms around his shoulders when we were down again. Me on my back in the couch, Lucien partially on me, partially with his side in the seat. His head was up, his eyes on me and he lifted a hand, trailed a finger down the side of my face then curled all of them around my neck.

“You remembered the béarnaise sauce,” I whispered.

“Of course,” he whispered back. “We’ve something to celebrate if belatedly.”

I felt my nose begin to sting.

Then I whispered, “They’ll probably make it better than me.”

“Undoubtedly.”

I grinned then it faded and I ordered, “Tell me you love me.”

His hand slid up my neck, my jaw to cup my cheek as his head dipped closer.

“I love you, sweetling.”

Dinner sounded great.

But those words sounded better than anything.

I sighed, my arm moving around him and I turned to my side. Lucien shifted with me so we were face-to-face and in each other’s arms.

“Why didn’t you say it before?” I asked.

“Because I couldn’t,” he answered immediately. “Because I hadn’t admitted it to myself. Not when you gave that to me. Not before. Not for twenty years. If I admitted it to myself twenty years ago, I wouldn’t allow myself to have you because I knew if I did, I wouldn’t let you go. When I had you, I wouldn’t admit it again because I wouldn’t let you go. I was already flying in the face of the rules of The Dominion with what I would allow us to have. They were going to accept that, I knew. They owe me. But they’d never allow me to take you as mate. We could do it but they would hunt us, eventually find us and we’d be given The Sentence. I had to protect you from that.” His eyes went strange and I knew why when he finished, “But it seems I failed at protecting you from everything.”

“It worked out in the end,” I whispered reassuringly on an arm squeeze.

“Yes,” Lucien replied, not looking or sounding very reassured.

I decided to change the subject to a far happier one. “Why did they change their minds so suddenly about immortals mating mortals?”

“They had their reasons,” he answered vaguely.

It had to be said, I wasn’t in the mood for vague. I’d had a lot of vague not to mention seriously vague (in other words, stuff kept from me). Therefore I was so over vague.

“Seems strange,” I probed, “all the trouble they took, all the heartbreak they caused, five hundred years and then, poof,” I fluttered a hand in the air, “whatever. Mate with mortals. We don’t care.”

Lucien grinned then clarified, “All right, my love, how about they had very good reasons.”

“War?” I whispered.

“Yes, amongst other things.”

“Etienne told me about their plans and –”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Don’t worry about it? Was he crazy?

“Lucien, what he told me was pretty scary. And they didn’t say it straight out but it seemed you’re a specific target. How am I not supposed to worry about that?”

His arms gave me a squeeze. His voice was low and firm when he repeated, “Leah, my love, don’t worry about it. You know I can take care of myself. What I must do is be certain I take better care of you.”

That was nice, very nice. Still, I studied him and I did it closely.

Then I noted, “You’re not going to share, are you?”

“Not now, no. I need to have a meeting with a member of The Council, discuss things and if it’s safe for you to know, I’ll tell you.”

I had a feeling I had no choice but to leave it at that. So I left it at that and changed the subject again.

“You didn’t feed,” I whispered and his arms gave me another squeeze.

“You don’t like me taking from anyone but you. I don’t like to feed from anyone but you. So I didn’t feed until I found you.”

God, that was so sweet.

“Thank you,” I said softly and Lucien leaned into me to touch his mouth to mine.

When he pulled away again, I held his eyes.

I didn’t want to go where we had to go but we had to go there. We were starting an eternity together. There were a few things to get straight.

“You kept a lot from me,” I said quietly trying not to make an accusation sound like one.

“I did, pet, and I’m sorry,” he replied.

“Why?” I asked.

Lucien sighed then pulled me closer. “First, I didn’t tell you about the restrictions against physical intimacy and living together because I knew you well already. And knowing you, I knew I had my hands full. I didn’t need you having more ammunition to use to keep yourself from me.”

This, I had to admit, was true.

“Second, I didn’t tell you about Maggie because it served no purpose.”

“It’s a part of you, a part of your history,” I reminded him. “And I was falling in love with you. But even if I wasn’t we were sharing our lives together and would being doing so for a while. You already knew everything about me and you had to know I wanted to know everything about you.

“I did, sweetheart, but I’ll remind you we’ve known each other a very short time and only a small portion of that has been time you’ve let me in. I cannot say, had my father not intervened, if I would have told you. But it’s likely. You’re right, I intended for you to be a part of my life for years to come which would mean you being around my friends and family. There was a high probability someone might let something slip. Secrets have a way of revealing themselves and, I tell you true, when you learned about Maggie, I would have wanted it to come from me.”

“I believe you,” I said softly and that got me Lucien’s smile.

Then he went on gently, “Edwina told me what my father said. And part of it is true. I loved her. I thought I’d spend the rest of eternity with her and I was happy with that. We were together for seventy-five years. I was a young vampire when I met her but I knew my heart and her place in it.”

Okay, suddenly, I didn’t want to know so much about Maggie.

Lucien read my face and gathered me even closer as he leaned into me, pressing me partially on back and he kept going.

“But she died, Leah. Her death incensed me and I avenged it. It took decades, blood was spilled, lives were lost but I avenged Maggie’s. And baring this to you, you also need to know that until very recently, I had not recovered from her loss. That was how much I loved her. She was a good woman and she made me happy.” My face must have given something away because Lucien got closer and his arms got tighter. “She was a good woman, my love, and she made me happy. I missed her. I hate having the knowledge in my brain that she endured what she endured prior to her death at the hands of my people simply because she fell in love with a vampire. And that love will always be true. But I have not lied to you the times I told you I’d never had more beautiful than what I have with you. You are what I’ve been looking for for five hundred years. You and me, we were meant to be. Maggie was my mate but she is gone. You are my lifemate.”

I sucked in breath as my heart flipped over and whispered, “You believe in lifemates?”

“I didn’t until the day you told me you loved me and I could no longer deny I felt the same for you. Then I did. Absolutely.”

His tone was firm, his eyes held mine, his gaze was unwavering and intense.

He meant it. Absolutely.

“Even running from you, believing your father, still, the pain I felt losing you, I often thought if we were in a romance novel, we’d be lifemates,” I admitted.

Lucien’s eyes grew warm and his arms relaxed.

“I’m sorry you lost her and the way you lost her, Lucien,” I whispered.

“I am too,” Lucien whispered back.

I kept going. “And I’m sorry I believed Etienne, took off and didn’t talk to you.”

His lips twitched and he repeated, “I am too.”

“Still,” I started to defend myself, “you kept things from me and –”

His hand came up to curve around my jaw and his thumb slid to press against my lips.

“My father attacking you was his decision, he carried it through and he’ll bear the consequences.” His thumb slid from my lip and along my cheek. “But you are correct. It was me who kept things from you, even after the taming was complete, which left it open for my father to plant those seeds. That was my error in judgment. And I left you unprotected. I didn’t think I would be gone that long. I had no idea they were lying in wait to instigate their plan. And even if they did, I must admit I’m shocked that any of them touched you, even my father. Scared you. Warned you. Threatened you. Shared things with you I was keeping from you. Yes. Touched you. No. Not any of them and especially not my father.”

“Maybe we should talk more about this,” I suggested. “What are you planning?”

“Marcello and Katrina have been caught, as you know. They’re holding them awaiting me. Cosmo and Rafe are hunting Nestor. They will hold him too. I will deal with them then I’ll hunt my father and deal with him.”

“Deal with them how, uh… exactly?”

His mouth went hard, his eyes started burning in a scary way that (yes, I’m deranged) was totally fabulous and he answered immediately, “I will torture them until they scream their pleas for me to burn them. Then I will burn them.”

I wasn’t certain how I felt about that.

So I turned, pressing myself to him and whispered, “Darling, isn’t that a bit –?”

He interrupted me. “It is my culture, Leah. It’s how we deal with these things. It isn’t only accepted, it’s expected. And it will be done.”

“But you were married to Katrina,” I reminded him.

“And she attempted to attack you twice prior to the events ten days ago. That was enough for me to seek permission from The Council to hunt her and end her life. And they would have granted it, Leah. Without demure. But this was worse. Far worse. Not only did they penetrate a concubine’s home, manhandle her, frighten her and lie to her, they tied up her servant who also has my protection. Further, what Edwina told me they told you, they are planning revolution. So not only are their deaths expected, they are necessary for the safety of your people and, in a way, mine.”

I couldn’t deny that.

His hand left my jaw so his arm could wrap around me while he reminded me, “This is your world now, pet. You must learn to accept these things.”

I nodded because he was right. It was wild, it was scary but then again, I had a long time to get used to it.

“Do you have any more questions?” he asked.

I shook my head.

“Then we must talk about The Claiming,” he stated.

I blinked.

“The what?” I asked.

“If you wish a mortal’s wedding, I’ll give you one. But we’ll also have a Claiming Ceremony.”

Oh my.

I felt my belly turn squishy.

“What’s a Claiming Ceremony?” I whispered and his face got soft at my tone and probably the look on my face and also probably the fact he heard my heart skip a beat.

“It’s our ceremony, pet. Words are spoken, I take of your blood, you take of mine then we share the words of claiming. Much like the mortal’s ‘I do’.”

“And what are the words of claiming?” I was still whispering.

“Until the sun falls from the sky,” he whispered back.

That was nice. He said that earlier to me. I loved it then and now I loved it more knowing its meaning.

“I like that,” I told him softly and he grinned.

Then he spoke. “For us, it will be real and right now, I need to know you understand that.”

“Understand?”

“That it’s real.”

“That what’s real?”

“That we will be together until the sun falls from the sky.”

Oh yes. That was nice and I loved it.

“I told you I liked it.”

“You told me, Leah, but you’re forty years old. I’m eight hundred and twenty-two. I have a fair understanding of what immortality means. You have no idea. Although it was understandable, it was a loss to all of us when Isobel’s mother took her life. Living forever may seem alluring but life is the same whether you’re mortal or immortal. There are highs and lows, good times and bad. And, bottom line, there’s a lot of time. A lot of time to travel, read, make love, eat and a lot of time to disagree, fight, get frustrated with each other. And there will be a lot of time to get bored.”

“I never get bored,” I informed him.

“Everyone gets bored,” Lucien informed me.

“Well, I don’t unless I have absolutely nothing to do like when you left me in the house with no wheels and no books and that was an extreme circumstance. Still, I found something to do. And, if you’re with me,” I grinned at him, “you won’t get bored either.”

Lucien returned my grin then leaned in and touched his mouth to mine. But when he pulled back, his face was serious.

“You’ll well outlive your entire family, sweetling,” he warned gently.

My mood subdued at a thought I hadn’t yet had. A thought that really stunk.

But I nodded and whispered, “Yes, but I’ll also get the chance to know their children. And their children’s children. So I’ll always, in some way, have family.”

“That’s a nice way to look at it,” he muttered and I felt my lips tip up.

Then I pressed even closer and told him, “I know what you’re trying to make me understand, darling. And I can’t tell the future. But I’m looking forward to it, as long as it seems, as far as it goes, as long as you’re in it.”

He pulled me tight to him, his mouth descending to mine, his tongue sliding inside as he rolled to his back, shifting under me. My hands went into his hair on either side of his head to hold him to me even though he wasn’t going anywhere. His hands went up my shirt to my bare ass, his fingers curving in to hold me to him and I was definitely going nowhere.

I broke my mouth from his, slid it down to his ear and whispered, “I could study to be a doctor.” Then I slid my lips to the hinge of his jaw and kept whispering. “And when I get bored of that, I could study to be a sculptor.” My lips moved to his neck. “Then I could become a lawyer.” My lips moved to his throat. “And I’d have centuries to my perfect my béarnaise sauce.”

I felt his body shaking under mine, his fingers pressed into the cheeks of my ass and my head went up so I could smile down at him.

Then the smile slid away from my face and I whispered, “I’ll never get bored, darling.”

His heated eyes turned soft then suddenly I was on my back with Lucien covering me.

I caught my breath at this maneuver but understood it five seconds later when I heard the clinking and jingling of a cart being rolled into the room.

“Dinner,” the hotel butler called. “I’ll set it at the table in the sitting room. Is that okay with you?”

“Perfect,” Lucien answered, his eyes on me.

I giggled.

The butler laid out our food.

Then Lucien’s gaze roamed over my face.

“Perfect,” he repeated on a whisper and my stomach dropped

Then his head descended and he resumed kissing me.