“None?”
“There were at least twenty hunters, only hundreds of mates to be hunted.”
Wow.
“Why was it only you who hunted the renegades?”
“I wasn’t the only one at the beginning. The Dominion recruited and dispatched other hunters. Most of the others didn’t survive. As I mentioned, I not only survived, I excelled. They pulled the others back and sent only me.”
This was crazy. Lucien was Super-Vamp, singlehandedly crushing a possible rebellion!
This was remarkable, unbelievable and very, very cool. But that something that I sensed was wrong niggled at me, making me uncomfortable.
I watched him for a moment, thinking of his magnificence, Stephanie’s, Cosmo’s, Lucien’s obvious pride in his people and I said softly, “You hunted your own.”
His hand came up, fingers curling around my neck and he explained as if I’d made a gentle accusation which I hadn’t, “They were also hunting, Leah, and they were hunting mortals. Feeding and killing. Without thought or remorse. Making a point, living their lives in the old ways. They were not only murdering innocents, they were putting everything we vampires fought for at risk.”
I stared at him.
Then I guessed, “You didn’t like doing it.”
He shook his head. “Regardless if I didn’t believe in their way of life, enslaving your brethren and delivering them to their executions is not a fun job.”
He could say that again.
I understood what that something wrong was and it made me incredibly sad.
For Lucien.
Something I never expected to be but there it was.
I felt my body get soft and I pressed into him.
Lifting my hand to touch his face, I whispered, “Lucien.”
When my palm rested against his cheek, I saw his eyes close slowly and the deep feeling so obvious in his handsome face made me catch my breath.
He was immensely good-looking but looking at him in that moment, he’d never been more striking.
Not ever.
I felt my mouth part in awe and I desperately wanted to kiss him. And through my kiss I wanted to draw away his demons, absorb his emotion, take it away from him forever.
Before I got the chance to attempt this feat, his eyes opened and he murmured in a way that said he was trying to reassure me even though it was him I sensed reliving a nightmare, “It was a long time ago, sweetling.”
“It bothers you still.”
His hand went from my neck to my hand on his face. His long fingers curled around mine and he drew my knuckles to his lips, brushing them there.
Then his eyes locked on mine and he repeated, “It bothers me still.”
I understood then why people acted the way they did around him and I shared, “You’re a vampire hero. They admire you.”
“They do,” he agreed in a casual way that said it mattered very little to him and went on. “They also fear me.”
I was thinking they probably should. He could hunt down thousands of vampires on his own, that was pretty freaking scary.
“What does this have to do with me?” I asked.