Chapter 19

Leandro

I tried not to show my frustration as I left my room again, unable to find Anais. She was supposed to stay safe inside and not leave. I might have understood why she did, but I wasn't happy about it.

She'd left a note and that helped me to not panic that she had been taken or Ludis had decided to dispose of her anyway just in case, but she was endangering herself by wandering.

As I came around a corner in the hallway, I spotted the back of Ludis and paused. He had one hand on Anais and was holding her arm up and away from her body. She was looking all coy, but she wasn't trying to pull away.

After tucking myself out of the way, I focused on listening, unable to bring myself to interrupt whatever the pair were doing.

I listened as she seemed to be trying to get information out of him. Something about his power growing in two days, but I also heard him telling her what she'll be doing for him.

Clenching my fists, I tried to will my body to interrupt them. I wanted to hit him. Beat him to a pulp for touching her, but my mission held me back. She wasn't truly mine. We were just working together.

Although I wasn't sure I wanted to look, I peeked around the corner again, now Ludis had Anais pressed up against him, one hand holding her chin as he stared at her mouth.

She was looking up at him as if she'd gladly do everything he asked, as if she was horny and as hungry for him as she had been for me earlier. Again, I could barely bring myself to stay there and simply listen. She was also getting information out of him, even if it was taking time and she was having to be careful.

I knew that she was probably acting again. That she was a hunter and this was the way she could get the job done. Right now he had her in his grip and she had to play along to not only keep herself alive, but have a chance to do her mission. This was normal for her and I couldn't expect anything different.

Despite that, there was an unfamiliar pain in my chest. I had hoped she wanted something with me. I'd wanted her to want me and for this act to only be partly an act. I'd wanted her to enjoy being my enthralled enough that when all this was over she would consider staying that way.

I'd imagined her giving up being a hunter, even made the offer that she could walk away from it all, but it was clear the hunter in her was too strong and this was all about the job.

I closed my eyes, tucked myself back around the corner and breathing in and out, not because I needed to, but because it helped me calm down to focus on the motion in and out and the movement of my chest. It also helped me make sure I appeared human as much as possible.

This wasn't all on Anais, either. After seeing me with her earlier today, Ludis should have known that she was out of bounds and he shouldn't have been touching her yet. I'd not invited anyone to join me and I'd made it clear that she was my new enthralled.

As I calmed and began to see the bigger picture, I listened again. The corridor had been quiet for a few seconds and I feared that they were kissing, but I could also hear footsteps.

"There you are, Butch," Ludis said. "I've been waiting for you. Look at the little butterfly I caught in my net."

"Isn't that the one from Vegas?" Butch replied.

"It is. The would-be hunter."

"Oh really. I'm not a hunter. Just caught up in all this... Interesting business." Anais spoke gently as if she wasn't sure she actually cared what they thought and wasn't trying to sell it that badly.

Ludis chuckled. "I was just telling her how good life will be in two days. You're not going to spoil that, are you, butch?"

"No, it's done and arranged. When we get off the boat in two days the meeting will go ahead."

"And you're confident that they'll show up and have what we need?" Ludis asked.

I lifted an eyebrow and pulled out my phone to look as if I was doing something on it and lingering here for a reason as some humans came down the hallway as well. Not wanting them to try to talk to me, I didn't make eye contact.

Eventually they passed by and I listened again.

Although Butch and Ludis were clearly talking to each other, the noise of people near me and the lowered tones of their conversation made it difficult for me to do much other than make out snippets.

I got the impression that they were trading for something, but I didn't know what. At a guess, I would have assumed some type of magical object. Just as magic had been used to allow my mafia clan to daywalk, there were many other magics and people willing to wield them for the right price.

By the time it went quiet again, Ludis was once again bragging to Anais and telling her all about how powerful he would be. They were vague promises and he focused more on what he wanted to do to and with her, but the meaning behind it was clear.

In two days time Ludis would have what he needed or wanted to do something big and given what I knew of the other mafia clans, this something big was taking out my uncle. Only he had no idea it was my uncle.

Anais did her best to fish for more information, her dulcet tones far too soft for him to pick up, but it made Ludis laugh at her.

"Oh, little butterfly, don't ruin the surprise. I'll tell you everything in a few days, I promise. By then, I will tell everyone in the vampire world and a new life will begin. But enough indulging for now. Butch, go make sure the right vampires are informed of the parts they play. And make sure they get it right this time."

"Yes, Sir," Butch replied.

I feared that he was going to come my way to obey the command, but the rest of the vampires that hung around Ludis must have still been in the lounge because Butch went the other way, his footsteps receding.

"Now, where were we?" Ludis asked, focusing on Anais again.

This time I did dare to look around the corner again. He was still holding her up against him with one arm while the other caressed her.

"You are being very persuasive about some very vague plans in two days, but... it's almost dinner time and I need to change... I want to look pretty for dinner."

He groped her again, running his spare hand over her body. She looked down again as if she didn't mind it, but I had seen enough. Ludis wasn't going to trust her with any more information than he had already divulged, but he had no problem feeling her up in public.

I turned back away, counted to ten to make it look less like I arrived right after Butch left and then strode around the corner as if I had been coming this way the whole time.

"Ludis," I declared, acting as if I had seen him and not Anais. Immediately he let go of her and she pulled back. She came hurrying straight over to me and I put an arm out for her to cuddle up to me with it draped around her back.

"There you are, Sir. I was then coming to look for you when Ludis found me."

"Did you enjoy your little explore?" I asked, pretending that everything was fine.

She nodded and smiled up at me before leaning in and inhaling. "You smell good."

Having her in my arms felt much better and it took a little of the anger I had been feeling away. She had come straight to me and Ludis was left standing on his own.

"Well, if you two are getting ready for dinner, I guess we'll see each other after. Enjoy the little butterfly, Drew. She's certainly an adorable little thing." Ludis smiled, but the warmth didn't reach his eyes. With that he sauntered onward, heading away from us and toward the lounge again.

I didn't know if he would show up for dinner or if Anais really wanted to go but I felt her body relax against mine, tension I'd not yet noticed leaving her.

"I'm so glad you showed up when you did," she said, keeping her voice low. "We should go back to the room."

Although I didn't move, she tried to pull away a little before she noticed I wasn't following.

"I heard everything," I said quietly, even though I hadn't quite. "But yes, let's go back to the room. I bought you some more clothes."

After taking her hand instead of holding her close, I led Anais back to the room and showed her what I'd bought. When I'd gone through the shops and asked for special options for her, I had enjoyed the process, thinking that she was resting and waiting for me here. I'd taken my time to make sure that everything I found for her was perfect.

As she looked over it all, I couldn't read her expression, but she turned to me soon. "This is all too much. You must have spent a fortune."

"You don't like it?" I asked, surprised by the feelings attached to the question. I'd let this little vampire hunter get too deep under my skin.

"I love them. All of them, but they must have been so expensive."

"You understand that vampires have a lot of money, right? Especially the clans." I came in closer to her, pulled her into my arms and kissed her. The move was almost instinctive and she melted into me. Was this different to her than what I'd just seen with Ludis?

I couldn't get the memory of him holding her and telling her what he wanted her to do for him out of my head and it chilled my core.

"What's wrong?" she asked as I pulled away.

"Nothing. You should put one of these on and we should get dinner. You need to eat and then we're going to do more training. We'll go back to the lounge later and continue gaining information.

Anais shuddered. "I'm not looking forward to pretending to be happy with that vampire again. He's sick and twisted and nowhere near as hot as you."

I lifted an eyebrow, wondering why she was telling me this. Should I get my hopes up? I didn't know and I wasn't sure I wanted to think about it anymore.

Despite me still being in the room, Anais quickly took the dress she was wearing off, along with the panties she'd put back on from earlier and grabbed some of the fresh I'd bought. I couldn't help but stare at her body imagining myself enjoying her again. The wounds on her neck were healing quickly and almost gone already, but I was tempted to taste her again.

She brought out desires and feelings in me that I hadn't felt for a long time and before I could stop myself, I had crossed the gap between us and taken her in my arms. I kissed her neck, leaning her naked body back into mine.

As good as that feels, we really are going to be late for dinner if you screw me now as well," she said and stepped forward and out of my grasp.

I growled, noticing the erection I already had forming. I wanted to bend her over and fuck her hard, but it seemed she wasn't going to play.

Right as I was thinking that, she turned around and let me see her naked body from the front. "Screw me after dinner?"

"Is that a request?" I asked, knowing that she had no reason to pretend she wanted it right now. It was just the two of us alone together and we didn't have an audience or anyone here to convince that she was my enthralled.

She had dropped the act of fawning over me, but it hadn't changed that she wanted me, apparently. A small smirk tugged the corner of her mouth up. "Am I allowed to make requests of you, Sir?"

My erection grew at the way she asked the question and I stepped closer again so I could wrap my arms around her body and pull her in close enough to feel what she was doing to me.

"You can ask to have my cock in you whenever you want. Just know I'm going to put it where I want inside you."

"Oh, that better be a promise," she replied, almost whispering the words.

I pulled her in tight, crushing my mouth down on hers and it took all my restraint not to push her back onto the bed and fuck her hard before dinner.

Instead I pulled back and growled. "Get dressed and hurry up."

I walked away from her, not sure how else to get control of myself.

We had a mission and she needed food.