Until the Sun Falls from the Sky (The Three #1)(65)

He could also see her smile, hear her laughter, taste her skin and feel her warm body pressed against him in sleep.

Every second with Maggie was burned on his brain, none of it was forgotten nor was it any less sweet.

It was just that the familiar pain of the memory which fused with the memory of her loss had vanished.

“Lucien?” Cosmo called and Lucien focused on his friend. “Maggie,” Cosmo murmured, his face grew concerned and he continued in a soft voice, “Sorry, that’s twice I’ve –”

“Don’t worry about it,” Lucien cut him off, not about to share his revelation.

Cosmo nodded, taking another sip, his eyes on the crowd, letting the matter drop as he had learned to do with a good deal of practice over the years.

“I hear Katrina is causing troubles,” Cosmo noted and Lucien sighed.

“I filed Severance,” Lucien shared.

“I know. Everyone knows. I’m pretty certain her phone is fused to her ear, she’s been so f**king busy.”

This didn’t surprise Lucien. It annoyed him but it didn’t surprise him.

“She tried to attack Leah today,” Lucien disclosed. He heard Cosmo’s sharp intake of breath and felt Cosmo’s eyes turn to him.

“Please tell me you’re joking,” Cosmo whispered.

“I’m not.”

Cosmo continued to stare at him. “How did that happen?” Cosmo asked, still sounding shocked as he would be.

It was not done to go visiting a mate’s concubine, no matter what you might suspect was happening.

Concubines were sacrosanct. They were under the protection of their vampire and only allowed in the company of other vampires with their vampire’s permission. To arrive on one’s doorstep with or without the intent to harm was not only not done, it was against the law. To attempt to harm the concubine was warrant for deadly retribution.

Katrina had likely come to confront Lucien and Leah had gotten in the way of her rage.

It mattered not that Lucien was flying in the face of the laws that ruled all vampires. It was Leah’s safety that mattered. Katrina’s behavior had been condemnable and even though Lucien was breaking the law on his own and flaunting it, he was within his rights, even if she was his mate, to hunt her and make her burn.

“She arrived on our doorstep this morning spoiling for a fight,” Lucien answered his friend’s question.

“And she attacked Leah?”

“She tried, yes. Twice.”

Cosmo let out a low whistle before enquiring, “Good Christ, what are you going to do?”

“If she continues to be just a nuisance, I’ll let her burn out her temper and move on, which is what I’m expecting she’ll do. If she ever gets near Leah again, I’ll see she burns a different way,” Lucien answered calmly but with deadly seriousness.

“You know The Council has heard all of this. Not only from Katrina but from Nestor, who was there last night when you kissed Leah,” Cosmo told him.

Lucien was not surprised about this either mainly because he’d seen Nestor watching them.

“I’m prepared to talk to The Council,” Lucien stated.

Cosmo turned fully to his friend, putting his drink on the bar and leaning closer.

In an effort not to be overheard, using his mind to communicate, a capacity that Cosmo had as well, he asked, And what will you say to them?

They owe me, they’ll allow me Leah, Lucien replied.

Yes, I believe they will. The debt has gone unpaid too long and they’re uncomfortable with it. However, they won’t like it or the idea it may give to others. It’ll be the only such dispensation since the Agreement was signed. And they only will if you intend to feed and to f**k. They’ll have a problem with you taking her as your mate, Cosmo returned and Lucien’s head snapped around to look in surprise at his friend.

What makes you think I intend to take her as a mate?

Everyone thinks that’s your intention.

It f**king well isn’t, Lucien clipped.

And it wasn’t. However, Lucien thought wryly, it might take eternity to break her which would be the same thing.

I hope to God you’re serious, Lucien. Cosmo cut into his thoughts. Because you attempt something like that, it won’t only mean war, it’ll mean hunting. They’ll torture you, which you’ve endured, but they’ll also torture Leah…

Involuntarily, at the thought of Leah under torture, hot brands held against her smooth skin, her fingernails ripped out at the roots, acid dripped on her beautiful body, Lucien’s midsection rocked back violently as if he’d been kicked in the gut.

His burning black eyes locked with Cosmo’s green ones. I mean to feed and to f**k. I mean to indulge in a taming. And I mean to have her how I want her, however long it lasts after the taming. Not as mates, not for eternity, Lucien stated clearly and went on. Cosmo, hear me. You set straight anyone who says otherwise. If The Council intends to investigate, they investigate me not Leah.

Cosmo studied his friend and nodded.

“Did Katrina start that rumor?” Lucien asked out loud deciding, if she did, he’d hunt her that night, not wait for her to do something else immensely stupid.

“I’ve no idea where it started,” Cosmo muttered, shaken, not at Lucien’s denial of the rumor but at his unconcealed reaction to any harm coming to Leah.