Stephanie sighed before saying, “Even at the good ones, things can get out of hand. Vampires are what we are. It isn’t unheard of for there to be bloodlust. In the throes of bloodlust a vampire will go for anything mortal. It’s not unusual for concubines to be used by other vamps, even offered by their own vampire to his friends.”
“Oh my God,” I breathed.
“Lucien wouldn’t do that,” she rushed to assure me.
“Oh my God,” I breathed again.
She leaned toward me. “Leah, seriously, Lucien would never share. Ever. You have to believe me. I’m being very serious.”
I just stared at her.
She kept talking. “He’d sense if things were deteriorating and he’d get you out of there. It wouldn’t matter. No vampire is stupid enough to touch what’s Lucien’s. He’d burn. Lucien would make sure of it. He’d do it himself. He’s even done it before.”
“Done what before?”
“Burned another vampire. If memory serves, he’s done it twice. Once was after something happened at A Feast. The other vamp didn’t even feed from his concubine, he just touched her. Lucien went mad, hunted him down, made him burn. The second was –”
She didn’t finish, I interrupted her by whispering, “Made him burn?”
Stephanie nodded. “Lucien killed him without a thought and he’d been within his rights. You don’t touch another vamp’s concubine. Most vampires cover it up, make a monetary agreement. They don’t take it that far. Any money that exchanges hands they give to their concubine to buy her silence. But Lucien would take it that far, no doubt about it. If it happens, it reflects on her vampire. He’ll seek vengeance and it’ll be granted. And she can demand immediate release and that too will be granted.”
“You can demand release?” I was too drunk to mask the hope in my voice.
“Yes,” Stephanie answered. “It’s tantamount to neglect which is grounds for unconditional release.”
My inebriated mind recalled reading that in my contract.
Why hadn’t I thought of that before?
There were grounds for unconditional release. Neglect, which Lucien had definitely not done, and extreme cruelty, which he could have done.
My brain was drunkenly churning so I didn’t catch Stephanie getting close.
“That doesn’t count,” she said softly, reading my drunken thoughts. “It happens to us all, not often but it does. I’m surprised it happened to Lucien but not surprised at the same time, considering it’s you. We lose focus or control. We’re vampires, you’re concubines. It’s the nature of the relationship.”
There it was. My hopes were dashed.
Again.
“I don’t like anything about the relationship. Not. One. Thing,” I announced and then took a huge sip of my martini.
When I was done swallowing, I caught her sly grin. “I’ll call you tomorrow morning after he feeds tonight and we’ll see what you say about the relationship then.”
I rolled my eyes. Stephanie laughed.
“Don’t you have more boxes to open?” I asked tartly.
She looked down at the boxes on the coffee table, her eyes narrowed and she reached out to grab one.
“This one has a note on it.” She yanked off the bow using the thick, cream card that was attached. “It says, ‘This is for tonight’.” She turned it to face me. “That’s Lucien’s handwriting.”
I looked at the bold, slashing, powerful, black scrawl that, in itself, was a command even if I couldn’t make out the words that seemed to be moving under my eyes. Of course it was his handwriting.
She thrust the box in my hands. “Open it. I have to see this.”
“No,” I thrust it back, “you open it.”
She pushed it back to me. “No, I want to see your face when you see what’s inside.”