Until the Sun Falls from the Sky (The Three #1)(149)

Lucien’s eyes moved to Cosmo as he spoke and when he was done, he stated, “It’s not a whim.”

“What is it then?” Cosmo retorted.

“What it is, is none of your f**king concern,” Lucien shot back.

“This is unbelievable,” Stephanie hissed and Lucien looked to her.

“Teffie, calm,” Avery murmured.

Stephanie’s head was a blur when she turned to Avery and shouted, “I will not be calm! We’re on the cuff of war!”

“You’re in love with her.”

The room went still when Gregor spoke these word and Lucien’s eyes moved to him.

“Yes,” he confirmed without hesitation.

“Oh my God,” Stephanie whispered.

“Jesus f**king Christ,” Cosmo said softly.

“You know my choices Gregor,” Lucien stated calmly. “You’re the only one in this room who does. I can keep her safe but for how long? The feeding I’ve done from her, it won’t have had the chance to have much effect, give her a longer life. She has forty, fifty years left of mortal life. That’s better than living whatever length of time I can keep her alive, doing it on the run and her life ending on a scaffold while she watches me burn. You know that better than anyone in this room. Therefore, this afternoon, I’m releasing her.”

“How long have you known?” Stephanie asked quietly and Lucien’s gaze went to her.

“The minute I saw her twenty years ago,” Lucien answered.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Her voice was rising.

“Because I only admitted it to myself two minutes ago,” Lucien replied.

Stephanie closed her eyes and dropped her head.

“Why?” Cosmo asked and Lucien looked to him.

“Why?” he repeated.

“Yes, Lucien, why? If you love her, why are you releasing her?”

“You’ve never mated. Seven hundred and fifty-three years, Cosmo, you’ve been on this earth and not one woman, mortal or immortal, have you stood beside and exchanged blood and vows. When you do, you’ll know why,” Lucien returned.

“None of this was about the taming,” Cosmo accused. “It’s bullshit that you only knew two minutes ago you loved her. You’ve known it all along.”

Lucien inclined his head. “On some level, yes. But I was denying it for Leah’s safety. And bullshit it might have been Cosmo, but you knew too. So did Stephanie. And Isobel. And anyone who really knows me. If you’re honest, all of you knew I was doing this for more reasons than to tame and f**k a concubine.”

“So on some level you knew you couldn’t have her and she couldn’t have you and you did it anyway,” Cosmo reminded him.

“What I knew from what I had with Maggie was that having Leah for even a little while was better than not having her at all. Not only for me but for her. And our time together proved me right. And I knew, this time, our time together would be short. So I knew I couldn’t waste any. What I did not factor was that Leah would return my feelings so swiftly.”

At this, understanding dawned. Lucien knew it when Cosmo flinched and turned his head away.

Lucien looked to Gregor.

“She shared she was in love with me today. As The Council is considering my request, I’ve reflected on this. My first instinct was to talk logic to her in an effort to prolong our Arrangement. But this is Leah. I know her better than that. She consumes life, she’s ruled by emotion. She won’t enjoy what we have for a short time. And she cannot know I reciprocate her feelings. If she does, she’ll never let me go. And I’ll not want her to. Thinking I don’t share her love, she’s already shut down on me. She’s retreating in an effort to control the pain I’ve caused. I must release her for her sake. Therefore, I do not need The Council’s permission. That said, if other vampires wish to indulge in a taming, you should know I will champion them.”

“Please sit, Lucien,” Gregor requested quietly.

Lucien shook his head. “I must get back to Leah.”

“Please, Lucien. Sit,” Gregor said more firmly.

“This is done. I must get back home.”

Home.

Home.

Not anymore.

Fuck.

Fuck!

Gregor held his eyes.

Then he stated, “What I’m about to say is known by very few. A very select few. If anyone outside of that sacred circle and the occupants of this room ever speak of what I’m going to tell you, it won’t matter which one of you shared the secret. All of you will be hunted. All of you will be captured. All of you will be tortured until you beg to be burned. Every member of your family will have the same fate. And everyone you love, immortal or,” his eyes sharpened on Lucien’s face, “mortal will share that fate too.”

“Holy shit,” Stephanie breathed, sitting back down.

“Speak,” Lucien barked and Gregor lifted his chin.

Then his gaze swept the room as he announced, “Immortal history is a lie.”

Lucien felt his eyes narrow.

“I beg your pardon?” Cosmo asked.

“Immortal history is a lie,” Gregor repeated. “Millennia ago, a decision was made. There was much fighting. Bloody battle after bloody battle was waged. Immortals tortured, beheaded, burned. It was gruesome, it was destructive and in the end it simply decimated the number of our species. Tragically. There were very few of us left. Any of us.” He lifted a hand to gesture to Avery. “Vampires. Werewolves. Wraiths. Phantoms. Golom. The Wee. So the remainder of the species came to an agreement and made their decision. Many of our people need humans to survive. A way needed to be found that we could live amongst them peacefully. The battles were mostly fought over conflicts about domination. Being vastly stronger and extremely difficult to kill, there were immortals who felt our kind should rule mortals and when I say that I mean enslave them. The others were bent on a more democratic co-existence even if they knew it would mean hiding who we are.”