Léopold's Wicked Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans) (11 page)

“Can I talk to you a minute? Um, this is kind of hard to ask, but what’s going on with you and Léopold? I mean I thought he just met you. It just seems like there is something there…something more,” Wynter stammered, unable to find the words she needed to articulate her concerns. She had no sire relationship to Léopold, but the man had saved her life; his blood ran through her veins. Like her connection to her mate and the pack, it was as if she could sense how Léopold was feeling, which at the moment felt like torment.

“Well, yes. We met last night but it was just…you see, I fell off a stool. I was waiting for a friend and he was there when it happened. And he kind of caught me…both times. I actually fell twice. It was kind of embarrassing.” She rubbed her hand over her eyes, wishing she could crawl into a hole. “You’re friends, right?”

Wynter laughed. “Yeah, I guess we are friends. You know Laryssa, as much as I only have eyes for my Alpha, I won’t deny that Léopold is a really good looking guy. But he’s also dangerous. Very, very dangerous,” she whispered. “Listen, I’m not going to tell you what to do, but just be careful. I saw the way you were looking at him and…”

“I wasn’t looking at him like anything. It’s just that he’s the only one I know…really, that’s all it is,” Laryssa lied.

“He saved my life.”

“Sorry?”

“Léopold. He saved my life. I was dying…died. He gave me his blood.”

“You’re a vampire?”

“No. I’m a wolf. But I do have a few side effects from what he did.”

“But he saved you? That doesn’t sound so dangerous to me.”

“Yes, but…” Wynter didn’t want to discourage her as much as warn her. “Just be careful, okay? Léopold is not to be messed with. He’s one of the most powerful vampires around.”

“In New Orleans?”

“Ever, from what Logan tells me. Look, I know he’s very smooth and cultured, but he’s lethal. Just don’t forget it, all right?”

“Okay.” It didn’t take much for Laryssa to believe that Léopold was dangerous. Even Avery had said as much. But after her interaction with him today at the shop, not only was she desperately attracted to him, she was certain he wouldn’t hurt her. Her ability to throw a large piece of furniture at him hadn’t undermined her confidence that she’d be able to hold her own if she was wrong.

“Sorry, I know it’s none of my business, but I just felt like I had to say something.” Wynter had seen, too, how Léopold had been looking at Laryssa. “I’m sure he’ll be fine with you. I mean, just look at how he is with Ava. It’s unbelievable really. I’ve never seen him that way with anyone…so gentle. I guess maybe I didn’t know him that well, but I never thought I would have seen Léopold Devereoux taking care of a baby.” She shook her head in disbelief and cracked open the door.

“He seems so at ease, doesn’t he?” Laryssa commented, knowing Léopold probably heard every word they’d spoken.

“Yes, he does. God help me, it really makes me want to have pups,” Wynter confided. “I have to go check on things downstairs. Will you be okay here?”

“Thanks, yeah, I’ll be fine,” Laryssa assured her.

Quietly, Laryssa pushed open the door, and caught sight of Léopold, who was softly singing a French lullaby to the child. She contemplated what he’d told the others…how she’d stay with him. Was he crazy? If she stayed with him…no, no she could not even go there. In the little time she’d spent with him, she’d already told him so much, too much. Like a geyser, the secrets she’d kept buried for so long had begun to spew forth. She wanted to trust him, to tell him everything. But she couldn’t. Going to his home was simply not going to happen, yet the words of protest failed to emerge from her lips. She told herself the reason she didn’t argue the point was because she hadn’t wanted to stir up more trouble with that nasty vampire. But her gut told her it was because she didn’t want to say no. She wanted to say yes. Yes, to everything that was Léopold.

Slowly, Laryssa approached Léopold, as he rocked in the chair, the infant finally asleep against his shoulder. Kneeling before him, she rested her hands on his thighs.

“Elle est belle. She’s beautiful, no?” Léopold commented. Speaking softly to the infant, he continued. “Mon petit bébé, we shall keep you safe and sound.”

“She’s so sweet. It’s hard to believe someone would try to kill a baby. Sick. Really sick.”

“Einstein said, ‘the world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.’ So much evil exists. It’s a wonder people even get up in the morning.”

“We’re going to stop this…whatever, whoever did this.”

“That we will, Laryssa.” Léopold pressed up out of his seat and gently placed Ava on her back in the crib. Pulling up the blanket, he felt Laryssa’s hand on his shoulder. “I’ve lived hundreds of years. Like immortals, evil never dies. It’s almost as if we know this when we’re born. Even the newborn babes cry as they’re birthed into our world.”

“I don’t know, Leo. I do believe that there’s something bigger than all of us.” Unconsciously, if not out of comfort, Laryssa noticed she’d touched Léopold.

“The Goddess? Oui. But hell, I believe, also exists, spawning the evil in both men and supernaturals. It won’t have her.”

“Evil? Babies aren’t born evil.”

“That’s not what I mean. I mean that whatever is after her is evil, and it can’t have her. I swore it tried to kill her that night in Yellowstone. With all I’ve seen, it makes no sense. There’s something bothering me about this…the creatures you’ve described.”

“No eyes.”

“If they are real…”

“They are.”

“If they’re real, I’ve never seen anything like them. But then again, I’ve never met anyone like you.” He smiled and captured a lock of her hair in his fingers.

Laryssa took a deep breath, slowing the pace of her heartbeat. She was certain he’d heard her talking to Wynter. She sighed in embarrassment. He was so out of her league.

“You are really good with her.” She changed the subject, turning her gaze to Ava. “Have you always been good with babies?”

“We’ve got to go. It’s getting late and you need to rest before we see Ilsbeth in the morning. You should get something to eat downstairs,” Léopold suggested. Hastily, he strode across the room, away from both Laryssa and the crib and put his hand on the door handle. He didn’t want to discuss his feelings about children with anyone. Foolishly, he’d let his guard down around Laryssa.

“What?” she asked, startled by his change in tone.
Is he angry with me?

“I said we need to go,” he responded coldly. Like a vault, he’d successfully closed his heart and mind shut from Laryssa.

Wynter opened the door, surprising them both. “How’s she doing?”

“Ah, Wynter. Thank goodness you’re here. We can’t leave Ava unattended, not even for a minute. Laryssa and I are going to get going. We need to stop at her home to get her things.” Léopold was grateful for the interruption.

“I see you got Ava down. I think I’m gonna take a nap while she’s sleeping. I’ll tell you, you sure seem to have the magic touch with babies, Léopold. Who would’ve thought? Big bad vampire is a softy,” Wynter sang in a baby voice while tucking in the sides of the blanket, making sure Ava was comfortable, and didn’t catch the look of disdain that washed over Léopold’s face. “Well make sure you get some of the jambalaya I made. There’re bowls out on the countertop. Or you can take some with you to go.”

“I’m really not hungry….” Laryssa started to say, upset with Léopold’s apparent shift in mood.

“I’ll make sure she eats something,” Léopold replied and gestured for Laryssa to leave the room. “Come, pet.”

“Not a dog,” Laryssa snapped, walking past him toward the steps.

“Excuse me?” he asked.

“You heard me.”

“I never said you were an animal.” He knew full well why she was angry with him. It was better this way. As much as he wanted her, he could never give her what she needed.

“Yeah, right. Next time, I suppose you’ll blow a whistle. Better go find a breeder if you’re lookin’ for a pet.”

Léopold snorted in response, but didn’t let her see the small smile that he couldn’t keep from curling upward. She was a little spitfire, one he knew was going to give him a few burns before the week was done. Damn, he wished he could keep her in his life, but it’d never work. It was better to keep her angry than aroused. Once this was all over, he could leave her with little fallout.

They’d ridden in virtual silence from Laryssa’s apartment. She continued to bite her tongue as they pulled into the gated driveway of his enormous lakeside mansion. Struggling with her feelings, Laryssa found it difficult to understand how she’d let the charismatic vampire take over her life within the past twenty-four hours. When she looked into his piercing dark eyes, it was as if he’d reached into her chest and stolen every ounce of self-control she’d ever had. He made her want to do things, very naughty things…to him, with him. She’d never responded so viscerally to any man, let alone a supernatural. Instead of remaining cool and collected, controlling her energy and her body’s reactions to him, she’d lost her concentration. She’d let him arouse her, and then anger her, freeing her power, exposing her abilities for the first time.

The way he commanded the others within the Alpha’s home left her in awe. They’d both feared and respected him. But it was how he revealed his gentility with Ava that stole her heart. She wasn’t stupid. She suspected that he’d killed over the centuries. An immortal didn’t live as long as he had without doing so. Yet he fed and rocked the baby as naturally if he was her father. The simple act divulged more about Léopold than anything else he’d said or done. Beneath his hardened exterior, goodness resided. The anger he’d expressed when she’d asked him about having children was preceded by a brief flicker of grief in his eyes. He may not have intentionally shown it, but the fact he couldn’t look at her told her that he was hiding something, something that was so painful that he’d reacted like a hurt animal. What Léopold didn’t know about her was that she wouldn’t accept his refusal. Perhaps she wasn’t thinking with her head, but she was determined to get to know her beautiful vampire.

Like it or not, Léopold Devereoux would learn to open up to her, to trust her. There was no other way she could justify revealing her true nature to another soul. She needed to know that Léopold was worthy of her secret, not just seeking to protect Ava. If he was simply after her powers, she’d still help him, but she couldn’t risk becoming intimate with him. It would be nearly impossible to resist his charms, she knew, but she sought more than just a roll in the hay. If she gave him her body, she’d have a difficult time protecting her heart.

Laryssa’s thoughts were interrupted when Léopold opened the car door for her.
A perfect gentleman
, she thought. So many years on this Earth had certainly taught him about the finer things in life. She ran her fingers over the soft leather seat one more time before exiting. As she reached for her overnight bag behind the seat, Léopold’s hands brushed over hers.

“Allow me,” Léopold told her, easily lifting it.

“I can carry my bag,” she protested.

“Well of course you can, but I insist. You’re my guest. This way.” Without arguing further, he walked up to the front door and flipped open a biometric security pad. “I usually park in the garage, but since you’re here with me…”

He didn’t finish his sentence as he twisted the doorknob, gesturing for her to go ahead of him. “I don’t have many people over, but you’ll be comfortable.”

“It’s lovely,” Laryssa responded, trying to act nonchalant as she entered his home.

It wasn’t as if she hadn’t toured a Garden District mansion, but Léopold’s home was spectacular. A large foyer with a circular staircase led directly into a great room. Spacious and contemporary, cathedral ceilings gave way to a wall of floor to ceiling windows. The kitchen, with its white cabinets and white marbled countertops, separated the area with a large breakfast bar. Modern cream-colored leather sofas offset the dark cherry floors. A two-story white stone fireplace climbed the far wall.

Laryssa couldn’t help but think how ironic it was that Léopold’s home was so airy and open yet he himself was quite the opposite, mysterious and enigmatic. She wondered if this was how he saw himself or perhaps it was how he wanted to be. Reflecting on his caring behavior with the child, she knew there was more to him than his role as protector and leader. As she entered the great room, she supposed that although the décor was understated, it presented a flair for the dramatic. As she took in the room, she noticed, however, that it also appeared impersonal. Unlike her tiny apartment which was decorated with pictures she’d taken on vacation and places she loved, aside from a few pieces of art, there was nothing to indicate who lived here or what they did. His home was like a floor model, modern and inviting, but still not quite finished.

As she approached the windows, she couldn’t help but press her hands against the glass.
Water.
Its call was undeniable. Before she had a chance to ask about the lake, lights flickered outside, revealing a large rectangular Olympic-sized swimming pool with a semicircular wading pool with fountain. Multicolored lights sparkled within the azure water, appearing to dance in the night. Magnificent as it was, it was the prize lying beyond the pool, waiting for her, that captured her attention.