Léopold's Wicked Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans) (8 page)

If something happened to the baby, she’d never be able to forgive herself. He said he’d protect her. As she stood and brushed off her skirt, she gathered up the strength she needed. God help her, she’d go with him. She’d meet the child, and do whatever she had to do to help him save the baby, hopefully saving herself too.

“I’ll do it.” She gave him a small smile, driven out of uncertainty, not happiness.

“Merci, ma chérie. You will come with me now, no?”

“I need to do a few things and close up here before I can leave. Can you give me an hour?”

“I will send someone for you. Please don’t disappoint me. I’m trusting that you’ll be here.”

“I will.” Laryssa sighed as he turned his back and walked out the door. She prayed she’d made the right decision.

Léopold smiled to himself as he left her shop. Relief swept over him as he entered his car. Triumphant for only a minute, he reflected on how close he’d come to losing it, to biting her. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so terrified. His little rabbit called forth emotions he never wanted to feel again. He cursed, dismissing it as lust. It had to be. After all, he hadn’t been with a woman in over two months. It had been in Philadelphia with a pair of lovely twins, if he recalled correctly. A lack of sex was a perfectly acceptable excuse for his behavior, he thought. Still, he couldn’t risk emotional involvement with Laryssa.

He’d introduce her to Ava and gain her assistance in protecting the baby. He still wasn’t sure what she could offer. But something in his gut told him that she was far more important than he could imagine. No matter her powers, she’d underestimated his ability to get what he wanted. Confidence swept through him. Not only would he save Ava, he planned on stripping Laryssa of all her secrets. What was she? And what other powers was she hiding? He was a patient man, determined and perseverant in all tasks. He’d rally every bit of self-control he had, ignoring the desire for Laryssa that grew inside him. It would serve only to distract him.
Mon petit lapin, enjoy your reprieve, for you will reveal yourself to me. And how sweet it will be.

Laryssa knew it had been a bad idea to acquiesce to the vampire. But as she glanced over to the imposing wolf in the driver’s seat, her anger grew hot. She wasn’t sure if she was madder at Léopold or herself for actually looking forward to seeing him again. Like a schoolgirl, she’d hurriedly closed up her shop, nervously fixing her hair right before she locked the door. The wolf seemed pleasant enough, but he was incredibly muscular, almost scaring her with the sheer size of him. She crossed her arms and pulled at her sleeves, willing her nerves to abate. Stealing a glance at the attractive beta, she jumped when he caught her.

“I won’t bite, cher.” Dimitri chuckled as she gave him a tight smile and looked out the window. He was beginning to think Léopold’s nickname for Laryssa was right on target.
Rabbit?
She certainly was skittish when he’d arrived. Sensing her irritation, he reasoned maybe she’d kicked it up a notch, acting more like a feral cat at this point.

He still wasn’t sure why Léopold hadn’t brought her himself. Why send him to pick her up when it was clear Léopold had showed interest in her last night? He had a suspicion that the vampire was avoiding her, which was disconcerting considering he wasn’t exactly the kind of guy to avoid anything, unpleasant or otherwise. Dimitri would never forget the way he’d deliberately challenged the Caldera Wolves Alpha, effortlessly pinning him against the wall in his own home in front of pack members. Surreal as it was, Léopold had let him go, only caring about the baby. It was a paradox he couldn’t wrap his head around, but it served to remind him that no matter what kind of friendship they’d forged, he really didn’t know Léopold that well.

Dimitri’s mind drifted to his Alpha and how the baby had taken over their household. After only twenty-four hours of caring for Ava, both Wynter and Logan had become exceedingly watchful of her. It was as if the baby had set off both their biological clocks. Wynter was demonstrating the fierce protectiveness of a new mama wolf around her cubs. Dimitri laughed to himself, thinking how insane it was that not only had he watched his Alpha change a diaper but now they were hosting a party for the very supernaturals they’d pretty much avoided over the past hundred years. Fangs and fur didn’t usually mesh well. Just as he was leaving Logan’s home, an entire crew of Léopold’s vampires had arrived.

Dimitri could sense Laryssa’s fear, and it made him uneasy. It wasn’t as if she didn’t have reason to be seriously concerned about her safety. She could be in danger of being attacked if she didn’t cooperate. Laryssa’s unwillingness to disclose her abilities, what she was, didn’t bode well. Léopold told him that she could move objects. He’d seen the tape, but he also knew there was a lot of witchcraft in New Orleans, and they weren’t all like Glenda from the Wizard of Oz. No, these folks weren’t into ruby slippers, butterflies and fluffy bunnies, magick ending in a happily ever after. The witches and mages he’d known were more about skinning the rabbit and eating it with a fine wine. Dimitri prayed Laryssa didn’t pose a danger, that she wasn’t part of whoever was behind Ava’s murder attempt.

Glancing at Laryssa, he had to admit that she hardly looked the part of a bad witch. Her shiny brunette curls complemented her light pink sweater, making her look more like a librarian…a curvy, sexy librarian. She kept crossing and uncrossing her legs, revealing just a hint of her thigh, as if she couldn’t get comfortable. Shit, no wonder Léopold liked her.

As Dimitri’s eyes roamed over Laryssa’s body, and when his eyes met hers, he noticed she was staring back at him. He smiled, well aware he’d been caught. Well, how the hell was he supposed to react to having a beautiful woman sitting next to him? He was a red blooded wolf, after all
.
Léopold was the one who’d asked him to pick her up and bring her to Logan’s. All was fair in love and lust, he thought to himself; however, his smile faded when he realized she was frowning at his ogling.
Smooth move, Romeo.
He considered that maybe instead of undressing her with his eyes that he should try engaging her in conversation. Perhaps he would have better luck than his friend discovering what she was and if she held interest in the baby.

“So, you run an antique store, huh?”

“Yeah,” she responded cautiously.

“How long have you been in New Orleans?” He’d known the store had been in existence for at least two years, but he wasn’t the shopper in the pack. No, he’d leave that honor to his Alpha.

“Um, around six years. You?” She’d lived in the city for several years but her business was just starting to prosper.

“My whole life.” Nearly a hundred and fifty years. “Well, to be honest, I used to live in the back country most days, but Logan prefers the city. Where’d you come from?”

“Las Vegas. Ohio, originally.”

“Why’d you move to New Orleans?”

“I just needed a change. Las Vegas was fun, but too hot for me,” she explained.
Too dry.
The idea that she thought she could live in the middle of a desert had been born out of denial. That and desperation to escape Ohio, her former life. Laryssa looked out the window, trying to hide the sadness that washed over her face. “Besides, I love it here.”

Dimitri sensed that she was blurring the truth. At most, she looked to be in her mid to late twenties.

“Your family? Are they from Ohio? Do they live here with you?”

“No,” she responded curtly. She didn’t want to discuss her family or her lack thereof. Sure they were alive. They just didn’t want
her
in their lives and hardly cared to keep in touch.

“Okay, I get it. Don’t want to talk about it, huh?” No, he didn’t get it, but he got the message, definitely not a pleasant topic.
Interesting.
But was she related to the baby? Léopold had only told him that she’d admitted having supernatural abilities, that she’d flung an ottoman at him. He would have paid to see that. “So, Léopold tells me you’ve got some power to your punch.”

“I can’t believe he told you that. It was…it was private.” Laryssa snapped her eyes onto the handsome wolf in disbelief that the vampire had told him what she’d done
.
“I knew better than to trust him.”

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m the only one who knows.”
Him and his Alpha.
Dimitri hadn’t meant to upset her, but now that he was in for a penny, he might as well go for the pound. “Léopold said you think you’re in danger too. He told you that we’re trying to find out who tried to kill Ava, right? It sounds like you might know why.”

“Yeah, I know a few things, but not much. But I told him I didn’t think this would be a good idea to get us together. Our energy,” she pleaded. Her eyes brimmed with moisture. She was so tired of hiding, of being alone. “I don’t know what will happen. I don’t want to attract attention.”

“What do you mean?” Dimitri pulled the car into the driveway, lowered the window and opened the biometric security pad. He pressed a button, which extended the retinal scanner and waited for the green light. A buzzer clicked and he turned his head to address her. “Whatever it is, Laryssa, you’re not alone. Léopold’s committed to protecting Ava and now he seems pretty intent on keeping you safe as well.”

Laryssa shook her head, unsure whether to trust him. Completely defeated, the pressure of keeping secrets had caught up with her. “Our energy. Well, I guess Léopold told you that I can move things. But that energy is unstable.” She blew out a breath and bit her lips, trying to think of how best to explain it. “My ability is strong when I use it. I’ve learned how to keep it hidden, but it’s powerful enough that I still can use it.”
To live. Not die an early death.
“And Ava. Well, she’s more like a spotlight at the Saint’s stadium at times. When she was born, I could feel it all the way across the country. I’m just afraid that if we are together…”

“You’ll blow the grid?”

She laughed. “Yeah, something like that.”

“And it’s like some kind of siren to these folks you’re worried tried to kill Ava?”

“I don’t know if they feel it, the humans. But there are others…they’ll know we’re here.”

Dimitri pulled the car into the port and switched it off, deciding to warn her about who was waiting for her inside.

“Listen, cher. I’m not sure if or when you’ll be ready to trust Léopold and me with what’s going on with you, but I’ve gotta tell you, even though we haven’t shared information about you with anyone else, Léopold’s friends are here.”

“Is this Léopold’s house?” Laryssa asked in almost a whisper. She looked at the beautiful three-story corner home and glanced to the pool. She’d been so busy talking and worrying that she hadn’t realized he’d turned off the car. Her heart began to race at the thought of seeing Léopold again. She was angry with him for telling the wolf about her powers, but at the same time, there was no denying the heat and attraction she’d felt when he’d held her. She rubbed her arms, remembering his touch.

“No, this is my house. Over there, the carriage house is mine. And the main home belongs to our Alpha.”

“Alpha? As in Alpha of Acadian Wolves?”

“Yeah, and like I just mentioned, a few of Léopold’s friends are here.”

Her eyes caught his. “Vampires?”

Dimitri smiled, trying to put her at ease. “Yep. No need to say more. And for the record, I feel the same way.”

“But you’re friends with Léopold?”

“Well, yeah, but that’s, uh, different.”
Different. Unusual. Odd.
Dimitri laughed to himself, realizing that he really was starting to consider him a friend. “We’re tight. But I don’t know his friends, so stay close. Got it?”

She nodded quietly. Instead of waiting for Dimitri to open the door, she pushed on the handle, but it slipped from her hands. She raised her eyes and her breath caught at the sight.
Léopold.
Before she could help herself, she’d placed her hand in his outstretched palm. God, he looked magnificent. If she hadn’t known he was a centuries-old vampire, she would have sworn he was a high fashion cover model.

Her gaze fell from his captivating black eyes to the hard lines of his jaw, eventually landing on his soft lips. Spellbound, she wondered briefly what it would feel like to touch them with her fingers, kiss them. Her face grew hot and she knew she’d looked for a second too long. Her eyes darted to his, and a broad smile broke across his face.
He knew. Oh God, how could she let herself think for one second that fantasizing about a vampire was even close to a good idea?
Hell, it wasn’t at all safe; she knew that as well as anyone.

But there was something about him that drew her to him. Like a comet hurling toward the sun, she let him pull her up out of the car, into his arms, and she quietly gasped as his lips brushed her cheek. She closed her eyes, pressing her hands to the fabric covering his chest. For a second she considered sliding her fingertips downward so she could feel the ridges of his abdomen. Enclosed within his wicked embrace, her world stopped, and she realized her life would never be the same.

Léopold knew he should’ve waited inside the house for Laryssa, but he’d felt her presence as soon as she’d arrived. It had nearly killed him to ask Dimitri to pick her up, but after his fiery reaction to her, he resisted the urge to see her. He’d met hundreds of beautiful women throughout the years, had sex with nearly as many, but he’d long protected his heart from love.

The insidious torment of his wife and children’s deaths had nearly killed him. It had ripped through his body and soul, breaking him down to a skeleton of a man. Truth be told, he would have welcomed the loss of his own life. Their violent murders left him questioning not only God but his own humanity. Ironically, his oath to protect his king and God had caused her demise, and yet it was what drove him to keep living afterward, leading to the ultimate death of his mortal life.

As a knight for King Capet, he’d been sworn into service, earning his place in the nobility. During the snowy winter of 988AD, he’d taken up arms in a Parisian skirmish targeted at the weakened king. He’d known the monarch held little power outside the boundaries of his domain, yet he’d held faith that the new leader would unite France. Gallantly he’d fought, successfully defending the king’s territory, only to find out that his own home had been a casualty of war.