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 f**king 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.