“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.