Chapter 5

Leandro

I frowned, not sure why I had acted in the exact way I had, but now faced with a very interesting situation. I'd stopped Ludis eating a human simply because I wanted her for myself. Although I knew there was a chance she was more than she seemed, and she had been watching Ludis for a reason, I couldn't think of her being devoured by him.

If she was anything but an interested party then I would happily find out the hard way. Ludis didn't look as if he wanted to stop his plan of either eating her or making her his enthralled and I knew there was a chance that I'd just pissed him off.

Claiming I'd chosen her first when he was interested in her was a bold move and I knew it. But I had to try. She was too good for an idiot like him.

"She's probably a hunter," Ludis said, throwing the words at me.

"Doesn't seem like one to me," I lied.

She did seem like she might be a hunter, but if she was, I also couldn't let her get close to him. The vampire would almost certainly die and then I'd have to figure out what he had been up to and if it was something I could stop without any help. I didn't want that problem right now.

The girl looked toward me, a strange stare that made it seem even more obvious that she was up to something even if I wasn't sure what. I walked a little closer, knowing I was putting myself more in danger.

One of her hands shifted slightly toward her leg, one of the few places she might be able to conceal a weapon of some kind while dressed so.

"What say you, little girl. You met this guy already?" Ludis asked, still not taking his eyes off her.

"I did," she replied, but there was some hesitancy in her voice as if she didn't know where this was going and how it was meant to help her.

The admission made me frown. It helped me, but only if she did want to be an enthralled and wasn't a vampire hunter. I found myself seriously considering the idea of having an enthralled. While it wasn't a practice that I had succumbed to in the past, I knew I would break my usual dislike for a chance to do what I wanted with her body.

If there was one thing that the stories had gotten right about vampires, it was that they were lustful. I wanted this woman and it was a desire I had every intention of giving into at some point. But all my partners had been willing, and I needed that from her as well. If I was going to seriously entertain her as my enthralled, she had to want this.

Ludis looked between us and his frown deepened as his mood became clear. He still didn't like this. In a lot of ways, I couldn't blame him. There were a lot of ways this could go sideways.

"I really don't understand what's going on here. Can you help me?" she said, looking at Ludis again. Ludis let out a chuckle.

"The cute act is just that, cute." Ludis stepped away as if he wasn't interested in anything she had to say.

"Please," she added as she tried to pull forward, toward him.

If I had been fairly sure she was a vampire hunter before this and after Ludis in some way, I was certain of it now. And she was brave as well. Surrounded by vampires, and probably not getting out of this alive, and yet still trying to complete her mission.

To know that the academy had a mission out on Ludis said a lot as well. Well, it more made it clear that he was up to something. There were still a lot of possibilities of what that might be.

I came closer again, now almost right beside her. If she was going to stab a vampire she could start with me and see how that went for her. Maybe I could get her to understand that this vampire was off limits for now. But I didn't think I would get a chance to do that unless Ludis could be convinced that she should be my thrall.

"Look at her, she is adorable and hot and she's clearly come here looking to be an enthralled." I smiled as if this was all obvious and I was trying to stake my claim on her.

"She acted like she had no idea what a vampire was," Ludis replied.

I glanced at her and fought back any hint of emotion at hearing this. She had just made everything far, far harder. I didn't know what she was, but she had some idea of what she was doing and some element of this was a lie. If she had made the situation untenable, I might have no choice but to snack on her myself and act as if she was nothing to me.

"Is this one of those blood cult things?" she asked, seeming to decide to play along finally. "This guy and I were talking and well, not gonna lie, I was flirting quite a bit, but he started to worry me a little. I mean this in the nicest way, but I'm a simple person. I really don't want any trouble."

As she spoke, I relaxed and noticed that Ludis was growing more impatient with having to have this conversation at all then actually interested in coming to any sort of conclusion.

"We were flirting and I came on a bit strong. Let me take her inside again and we can carry on our little conversation and give her a chance to get to know me a little better."

She frowned, not appearing to like where this was going. "I'm not sure I understand and I really would appreciate it if you'd get your friend to let go of me." She motioned to her arm and the hand clamped tightly around her. If the vampires let her go, there was a chance she would dive towards Ludis.

I did the only thing I could think of and hurried over to her, taking a look at her as I walked. While I did this, I considered how likely I was to get stabbed. She was very focused on Ludis and it made me wonder if the guild she must answer to had put a bounty out on his head. It would be yet another sign that the vampire was up to something and needed to be stopped. Just not yet and not by her.

"I'm sorry I scared you, but I really think that you'd like what we're offering." I gently reached out and took her other arm. At the same time, I gave her a look that I hoped she would understand. This was clearly a lie on both our parts and I desperately needed her to play along.

Despite me having hold of her arm, Ludis didn't have his man let go of her other. For now she was caught in between us both and she almost instantly pulled back and glared at me. No matter what I said or did, I didn't appear to be getting through to her.

Ludis chuckled. "I'm not sure she wants to go with you, brother."

She looked between us and I could hear and feel her heart rate go up. Whatever she was trying to do, she was aware this was likely to get her killed and somehow she was doing it anyway. What kind of situation had she got herself into so badly that she thought this was the only way?

"I really can offer you a better life path," I said, hoping beyond all hope that she would get the double meaning to my words.

"Most people who say that are trying to scam people," she shot back. This amused Ludis even more and he began to laugh.

"My man, you are crashing and burning on this one. She's not buying it. Maybe we can have some fun with her after all."

All of the vampires started to laugh and chuckle at this and one of them even licked his lips. The girl looked right past me and straight at Ludis. "You want some fun with me. What is it with all of you lot wanting to have fun? You seem like the kind of guy who doesn't let those around you have first go with something you want."

"I'm not," Ludis replied, stepping closer, his eyes now fixed on her.

I frowned, knowing that she was good at this if nothing else. She had to be a vampire hunter. There was no way a woman surrounded by so many men suggesting to have fun with her goaded the main one. And that made her my adversary right now as well. If I'd had a moment to talk to her, or sheen the threat she was from the beginning then I might have had a chance to work with her.

Right now, I needed to stop her and then I needed to stop him.

"Come on, Ludis. I swear, I claimed her. She was going to be my enthralled." I folded my arms.

"I don't know what one of those is." She looked at me like I'd grown two heads and was scaring her. It was a good act, but I knew that I needed to somehow take control of this again and fix it.

After leaning in, I grabbed her arm and pulled her in close to whisper right in her ear. "I'm trying to save your life, you idiot."

The entire group reacted, no doubt assuming that I was biting her. To my surprise she leaned into me, her body heating as her heart pounded even harder. I could hear her blood racing through her body as she grew aroused. It was obvious in her scent and her posture.

"I don't want to hurt you, no matter how it seems, but I know what you are," I added before I shifted and kissed her. She didn't pull back from that as well, her lips firm against mine.

When I finally pulled back, she stared at me, her mouth slightly parted and her eyes wide.

"See, she's mine," I growled as I looked toward Ludis again. I kept my arm around her this time, holding her body close to mine.

"That I believe a little more, but she's still not acting right. And that was more than a kiss. Are you up to something?" Ludis asked. "I still think she might be a hunter."

"If she was a hunter, I'd be dead." I smiled as if that was obvious and thanked the stars that I wasn't yet. I could feel the blade strapped to her thigh underneath her dress and knew that she had to be a hunter.

Ludis frowned and looked between us. She started to relax, calming even if she must have been very confused by this whole interaction. I would have felt cold to her and she'd know I was a vampire at this point.

"She's clearly been lying about something. She's not reacting to being close to you. Not in the way we'd expect from someone who doesn't know about our kind."

As she nodded, she sighed. "Yeah. All right. You've got me there. I do know vampires exist. I'd like to avoid being eaten though if that's possible. And I have heard that being enthralled can be... addictive."

After chuckling Ludis motioned for his brute to let the girl go finally. I still had an arm around her waist, which forced her to stay close to me.

"That's a little better," Ludis said. "Finally some answers. At least I know my people are still telling me the truth."

I got a brief glance my way and I knew he was saying that I might be on dodgy ground.

"Now, why are you really here if you don't want to be an enthralled and don't want to be eaten?" Ludis asked. "And I better like the answer."

She frowned and then looked up at me as if she was more concerned about my reaction. She'd pulled her leg and the blade away from me, but she wasn't trying to get any further away yet.

"Money," she replied when she finally looked at the vampire who appeared in charge.

Ludis folded his arms, beginning to not only grow bored, but angry again. He was such a child emotionally. I was going to be glad when I was done keeping an eye on him and could go back to doing my own thing.

"Money?" Ludis wanted an explanation and I didn't blame him. I could tell she was stalling for time, giving herself time to think, but she also seemed truthful. A vampire hunter might be coming after him for money.

"I was asked to come here and check out the place in return for money. I think I was set up..." she looked down and shook her head. "I pissed off some friends, I'm down on my luck and I was offered money to do something I thought I could handle."

As she looked back up at Ludis I could see the genuine pain in her eyes. "So here I am, not handling this as well as I hoped and now talking to vampires, beings very few people believe exist and it seems the best I can hope for is to be an enthralled."

"It can actually come with a fair amount of money, if that helps," I replied, trying to smile gently at her. I needed her to understand that I was the better option here and the trustworthy one.

She let out a short barking laugh and the corner of her mouth lifted. It lit up her face even more and I felt my groin stir. While I didn't want to be distracted by her right now, I was beginning to like the thought of taking her to my room and enjoying every bit of her.

"All right, I've seen enough. She likes you enough, that's clear. I don't want her. Make her an enthralled. It's about time you had one like the rest of us." Ludis turned to go, but before any of us could move or follow there was the sound of gun fire.

Ludis ducked, a bullet hitting the wall near him. Everyone reacted, looking around as another shot was fired, this one clipping Ludis's arm. Immediately he ducked down and tucked himself behind a bin.

Someone was trying to kill Ludis and it wasn't the vampire hunter I was hugging.