“Okay,” she whispered.
She pulled the covers up to hide herself and then sat still as he finished with the pins.
After some time his fingers slid through her hair, searching for any pins he’d left behind. Finding none, he deposited the last of them with the others. His hands going back to her hair, he gathered it all in his fists. Transferring it to one, he pulled it aside and kissed her bare shoulder.
She trembled against his lips. He smiled against her skin.
“Can I go to sleep now?” she asked.
“No,” he answered.
Her body jerked and she twisted her head to look at him.
“But I’m tired,” she lied.
“Yes, I know.” He tried not to grin.
“You said we could go to bed.” Her tone held a mild accusation.
“We’re in bed,” he pointed out.
“I thought you meant to sleep,” she told him.
“I didn’t.”
“But –” she started but didn’t finish. He moved her to face him, tugging the covers out of her hands at the same time lifting up to lean his back against the headboard and pressing her torso to his side.
“We’re going to talk,” he announced.
She tilted her head back to look at him. “I’m really tired, Lucien. Really tired.” She stressed the words vocally and by pressing her soft body deeper into his. “I don’t think I have it in me to talk.”
His hand came up to cup her jaw. “That’s fine, sweetheart, you aren’t going to be talking.”
Her body grew tense.
“It’s been some time since you’ve had a lesson,” he told her and saw surprise slide across her features.
He watched her struggle with her reaction. Then he watched her lose.
“Have you come to a decision?” she asked, her voice edging toward a demand.
“About what?”
He heard her teeth grinding and controlled his laughter.
Barely.
“Earlier tonight, you said you were going to choose,” she reminded him. “Have you come to your decision?”
As much as he was enjoying this, Lucien let her off the hook.
“That’s what your lesson is about.”
He watched her face working again, heard her teeth grinding again before he felt her weight settle into his side.
“I’m all ears,” she muttered, now her voice held mild irritation.
His hand at her jaw slid into the side of her hair and he pressed her cheek against his chest. He then took her wrist, pulling it across his abdomen, resting her arm there. Finally, he placed his hand on her neck, thumb stroking her throat.
“Did you learn anything about the history of concubines while in class?” he asked.
Her felt her head move indicating a negative against his chest.
Of course she didn’t.
Lucien smiled over her head and continued, “The role of official concubine started just after The Revolution when mortal and immortal representatives met to negotiate the Agreement which would dictate how the two cultures would co-exist. Eleven Elders, or oldest living vampires, represented our culture. Ambassadors from eleven European countries represented yours. For mortals, the primary concern was to stop hunting. For immortals, the primary concern was to ensure safe feeding but also to find a way that vampires could feed and still have a place in society not in shadows. As I told you before, many vampires already had what amounted to concubines, women who shared their blood willingly. It was agreed that this would be the practice from that point on. The Agreement was written and both immortals and mortals signed it.”
Lucien paused and Leah nodded that she understood and he should carry on which he did.
“Concubines were recruited from the highest-born families in Europe, aristocrats, the daughters of wealthy merchants even some lower-born royals. This was facilitated secretly by command of monarchs across Europe. It wasn’t essential that the women came willing. Most often they were sold into the life.”
He heard her take in a sharp breath and his hand at her neck gave her a reassuring squeeze.
“They might have been sold into the life, Leah, but once there not one attempted to leave it.”
“Okay,” she whispered when he paused again for her to give indication that she accepted this fact.
“The first family to come forward and sign the agreement was yours,” he told her and added, “The Buchanans came willingly.”
“I knew that,” she said softly.
“Did you know that they’d already been concubines for five generations?”
Her head tilted back and he met her gaze.
“I didn’t know that,” she replied softly.
He nodded. “Not only concubines to vampires but concubines to kings.”
He watched her face pale, felt her body get tight and she pushed up and away.
“Oh my God,” she breathed, so appalled for once she forgot her own nudity.
“Leah –”
Expression still horrified, she talked over him. “I come from a family of whores.”
His arms curved around her and he pulled her up his chest so they were face-to-face.
“You must remember, those times were different,” he warned, locking eyes with her. “And the Buchanan women were different. They wanted something else from life. Strong women couldn’t live their own lives back then, no women could. Your ancestors did what they had to do to guarantee themselves a certain amount of freedom, freedom that included safety and comfort and they didn’t care what people thought. These are traits to admire, then and now.” She continued to look horrified and dubious so he went on, “I knew your Buchanan ancestors, pet, they made their own way without men ruling their lives. You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.” His voice dipped low. “And they would have liked you, particularly you. You remind me of them, Leah.”
She wrinkled her nose and Lucien thought it made her look adorable so he smiled.
“I’m giving you a compliment,” he informed her.
“Okay,” she agreed without actually agreeing, clearly wanting to be off the subject.
He disregarded her nonverbal cue. “They ensured, for centuries, that all of their line would live safe and well, even you. And I don’t mean now with me, I mean your whole life as provided by your mother.”
“Seems to me men provided that life or at least vampires did. In our case, Cosmo took care of us.”
“Yes, but for seven years your mother took care of Cosmo.”
She made a noise that sounded like a snort.
He gave her an impatient squeeze but softened his voice. “What your family does is no small thing. Without your blood, your mother’s, your entire line and all those like you, given willingly, we would need to hunt.”
He watched as understanding dawned then her brows drew together and she replied, “All those people at the Feasts, Wats and Breed... you wouldn’t go hungry and you wouldn’t need to hunt.”
“You’re correct,” he allowed. “But survival feeding is very different than partaking of an elegant repast. The vampires who remained after The Revolution as a whole crave the finer things in life. You saw them, Leah. Wats and Breed are not the finer things in life. Concubines definitely are. To find that, if not given willingly, we’d hunt.”
Her eyes moved from his and she muttered, “Snooty.”
“Look at me, pet,” he demanded and when she did he went on. “That isn’t it, there’s more. You said three weeks ago that there were not many people I could be myself with and you’re one. Do you have any idea what it’s like, second-to-second for centuries, hiding who you are to live in the mortal’s world?”
She squirmed uncomfortably against him and he stilled her with another arm squeeze.
She seemed to be searching for an argument, found one and retorted, “Lucien, you can totally be yourself at Feasts and around Wats and Breed. They’d love it. They’d do anything for you to be you. They live for it.”