16. Leia

Chapter 16

Jason moved so fast he was a blur, and if he'd done that while I was human, I wouldn't have been able to see him. But as a vampire, I could track him—although tracking him and topping him were apparently two things.

He had a dagger held to my throat before I even defended against his proximity.

A chuckle sounded from his lips and he glanced at Nic. "Looks like we need to start from scratch."

For a moment, Nic bared his fangs before he relaxed, but the relaxing seemed to require effort. "Of course. She's new."

Jason nodded and stepped away from me. "Of course," he echoed.

It was like he'd just been reprimanded by his dad, and I laughed. "Yeah, Jason. I'm new," I taunted, and he narrowed his eyes teasingly when Nic couldn't see.

I laughed again. It was like being part of a club now.

"How are you feeling?" Jason looked at me, his expression softening. "Are you up for this today?"

I laughed again because now more than ever, I wouldn't break. All the times I'd felt strong in the past were a myth. Humans weren't strong. They were weak. Nic's contempt for them made so much sense now.

"I feel great." I glanced at Nic. His blood had a lot to do with that.

He offered me a secret smile before wandering away and leaning against the wall. "Proceed." He waved his hand, the gesture both lazy and royal.

Jason grimaced. "Okay, first, we need to get a handle on your speed."

"Like this?" I took off and returned back to the spot so fast that my giggle still hung in the air between us.

"Well, looks like you have speed down." Jason nodded approvingly. "Let's have a look at strength and also at how you handle a weapon—"

He broke off and glanced at Nic, one eyebrow raised.

Nic's nod was so slight that had I been human, I probably would have missed it.

"I get to use weapons?" I raised an eyebrow. "Like actual weapons that can hurt people?"

Jason nodded and walked to the wall before pressing against a nondescript area. A portion of the wall slid away to reveal a weapons stash that was better described as an armory.

We worked the rest of the day on footwork and swordplay, even though I looked at the daggers longingly. Jason said it was important for me to master one weapon at a time and that swords also helped me exercise my new strength.

I'd shrugged. His argument made sense, but I didn't have to like it.

As I started to set up for another hand-to-hand sparring match, I drew a deep breath and a tantalizing scent lodged in my chest. I whipped my head to the door and Nic was at my side before I could move any farther.

He glanced at Jason. "Time for the next stage?"

Jason shrugged in response. "As good a time as any."

Nic took my hand. "I need you to come with me."

"Where?" My voice held a note of suspicion as I breathed in again.

"Do you trust me?" The aroma grew stronger as we ascended the stairs, and Nic's hand tightened around mine like trust wasn't entirely a two-way street.

I nodded. "Of course."

We walked to the kitchen, where the same courier I'd attacked previously was having a discussion with Chef. Everyone looked in Nic's and my direction as we entered, but the delivery guy didn't even flinch. His gaze passed over us before returning to Chef.

And the human still smelled absolutely delicious, but I stole a glance at Nic and the part of his neck where his pulse beat strongest, and the urge to taste anyone else receded.

"Is everything to your satisfaction?" Nic directed his question to Chef but sneaked a look at me.

"Oui." Chef's answer was short and to the point, and I nodded.

We left the kitchen and I pressed closer to Nic. "Why didn't that guy recognize me? I came super close to ripping his throat out, and it's like he doesn't even know who I am."

"I made it that way." We walked up the stairs to the second floor as Nic spoke, and we paused at the top. "Your room or mine?"

"Yours." There wasn't even a hesitation. Only his. The room I'd always slept in still held too many memories of my life. "But wait. What do you mean, you made it that way?"

He looked at me for a beat too long, uncertainty swirling in his gray eyes. "We can do a thing called compulsion. It can make humans act a certain way or it can make them forget."

"You made him forget me?" The thought was wild. "Wait. Can I do that, too?"

He nodded slowly. "With some training." Something weird still echoed in his tone.

"Have I ever seen you do it before?"

He took a deep breath. "I compelled you once."

He waited, like he was watching for my reaction. But I waited too.

Why the hell would he have compelled me? The emotion filtering through our bond wasn't remorse or regret. It was more protective than that. Something had made him act to look after me.

"What happened?" I whispered.

He started to unbutton his shirt, turning from me as he began his story. "We were in New Orleans the first time and…"

I covered my mouth against a gasp. "When we went to The Neutral Zone?"

"Yes." His reply emerged as a growl. "After you left the restaurant, you were cornered and attacked by some of…" He hesitated like he had trouble with the next word. "Some of Francois's vampires."

"What?" That didn't seem right. "I was attacked?"

I clutched the amethyst necklace Lettie had given me, the one I rarely took off.

Nic nodded. "And you weren't ready to know. I needed to protect you from what they had just revealed."

I nodded as I sat on the edge of the bed. "It was almost too much when you told me. I don't think I could have gotten past an attack like that, not that soon."

But now that Nic had spoken of that evening, memories pushed at the edges of my mind. Red eyes, fangs. Hot, unwelcome breath at my neck. That night… I could have lost my life. Or I might not have been Nic's.

I stroked my fingers over my skin where the sensation of breath and scratches lingered, and Nic turned to me. He was at my side, his arm around me before I had another thought.

He drew me close. "It's okay," he murmured. "I've got you. I'll always have you."

Springing awake would never get old. I was alert and ready to go. I tested the bond with Nic—he was busy somewhere else in the house. And focused. There was no answering tug of awareness from him. There was a note of tension, though, like something was going on for him and the guys.

I stretched out in the bed then curved my back like a cat in the sun. Being a vampire was amazing. Captivating, even. And while Nic was busy… I grinned. Well, I could play, right?

I'd been cooped up…trapped…in this house for long enough. It was a true gilded cage.

But I longed to explore farther than the boundaries of Nic's gardens. I didn't have a built-in babysitter now that I was a vampire—Aimée only came by as a friend rather than a guard—and probably all the men were with Nic, so it was a great time to let myself off the leash and explore a little. See what this new body could do.

Because, hell, it could do a shitload more than the human body I'd had before.

I got up, showered, dressed, and helped myself to a blood bag from the blood room. It wasn't as good as taking from Nic, but it sated the worst of the hunger.

Then I headed downstairs, slipping down the back staircase and straight into the kitchens. Chef was nowhere to be seen, and I walked right out of the back door, trying to keep my mind clear and free of any particular destination.

I wasn't exactly sneaking out, but I did wat to know how far my new skills extended. Could I be sneaky if I wanted? Being such a new vampire still meant the others didn't have a lot of faith in me. I was still mostly excluded from war room talk, and I wasn't sure I'd ever explored the boundaries of what I could do in weapons training and hand-to-hand combat.

Jason still seemed to forget I was actually vampire now, often backing off at the last moment or going easy on me—even when Nic wasn't watching.

As soon as I made it to the tree line, I ran, laughing as the wind blew through my hair, as I swerved spindly trees at the last moment, and as I ducked the branches threatening to rip my face to thin shreds. I had insane new instincts.

And they were mine forever now. I let loose a happy yell as more trees and vegetation passed by in a blur. And I leapt up a rock formation like I had springs in my legs and traction on my feet, never missing a foot or handhold. I stood at the small peak and bellowed my triumph, laughing as a flock of birds rose from the trees before me.

My new vision picked out feather-fine details as they flew away in their panic, and I sank into a sitting position so I could better test my eyesight over the terrain before me.

The details on the smallest leaves stood out now. Every knot and bump in the bark of the trees.

I sensed Nic before I heard him. "Hi," I said without turning around.

"Hey," Nic replied like we were two people out for a walk.

I turned my face up to the sky and closed my eyes as he settled himself beside me. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

He chuckled and my heart stopped for a moment as the sound seeped into me.

"I always know where you are, Leia. I will always know. You will never be lost to me again. I can feel you in my soul now." As if to show me, he tugged a little on our connection, and I tested it back. He slipped his arm around my waist. "We're tethered together now. Wherever you go, I'll know. I've got you."

I rested against him, the warmth in his tone soothing me. For too many years, I'd struggled alone. Struggled to keep the business afloat, the bills paid, to keep Dad alive, and now I didn't need to struggle. Nic would look out for me, be there for me. Back me.

We were together. Bound.

The war lurked between us, but it was a joint purpose now. I could help him, and I could help him win. I had a new life and a new purpose.

"Shall we take a walk together?" he asked.

"Where are we going to go?" I was comfortable here, resting against him.

But he shifted. "Town? There are some things I want to show you."

I hesitated as he stood up and began dusting his pants off. "Am I safe to walk through town?"

The delivery guy might not have remembered me, but I remembered me, and how delicious he smelled, and how instinct had driven me to taste him. I would have ripped his throat out.

"I'll be there." Nic held his hand out. "I've got you, remember?"

I let him help me up and we climbed back down the rocks. Nic seemed to take extra pleasure in my enjoyment of each movement. My body was a machine now. A weapon, almost, that I had at my full control.

"Will it always feel like this?" I asked him.

"Nope." He shook his head and grinned. "It gets better."

We used our speed to get to the edge of the city before slowing down to a normal walking pace. To anyone who looked, we were a normal couple, enjoying the sights of Baton Rouge. No one could see how each passing human captured my attention a little or how Nic always focused my attention back on him before I could lose myself. I held his hand, curling my fingers alongside his, and I laughed as he joked and talked to me about nothing.

"See how the renovations are coming on?" I asked as he led me to La Petite Mort, and I gazed up at a perfect frontage.

"You wouldn't even know," I murmured. I'd seen some of the photographs of the aftermath. I'd never expected the casino to look like this so soon afterward, but Nic had a miracle worker team on his side. My own home was testament to that.

"I'll always know."

When I looked at Nic, his jaw was set, his expression grim. There was nothing else I could say. Nic would always carry the sorrow of this loss.

And it reinforced my determination to end Francois. He'd caused too much destruction and too much death. But I'd be the last thing he saw in the world, and that brought me some satisfaction. I could avenge what he'd done to Dad and avenge the pain he'd caused Nic at the same time.

"I have something else I want to show you." Nic spoke to me, dragging me from my thoughts and centering my attention back on him.

"More?" I glanced around us at the people walking up and down the sidewalks and the cars passing by. All of this was a far cry from the life I'd lived before. In both ways, actually—I'd always been too busy to venture very far into downtown Baton Rouge, and I would have avoided this end on principle, due to the casino. And also, I was no longer human. My connection to these people was growing thinner. We had very little in common anymore.

They knew nothing about the predators in their midst.

I shook my head as more pity for them snuck into my thoughts.

"Come on," Nic said. We set off walking again, out of town at the other side, and the entire time I marveled at colors and all the things I could hear. Micro-expressions on people's faces cued me into their moods, even when they thought they'd disguised them, when their tones of voice and fake smiles said something else.

We left the busy streets and gradually the store fronts gave way to irregular homes.

"Are we going to The Pour House?"

Of course we were. There was nothing else out here, but I asked anyway.

Nic looked at me, mischief sparkling in his eyes. "I could say no, but you'd sense the lie."

We walked the rest of the way in silence. The last time I'd seen my bar, Ben had worked wonders at initial renovation, but when we turned the corner and I saw it all over again with my new vampire sight, it was like witnessing an actual miracle. Every detail was perfect—and I could see them all.

"It's like I can see it properly for the first time," I said.

"Wait until you see inside."

"I know. Ben has done a great job." I'd spent an evening with him when I left Nic's house—the same night Francois had abducted me.

"I think you'll find it's even better now." Nic grinned as he spoke, his satisfaction evident.

Ben was one of his most trusted men, but the one I'd seen least of. He handled a lot of Nic's business affairs and had overseen the growth of my business and all of the renovations before also turning his attention to La Petite Mort after the suicide bomber had destroyed so much of it.

My gaze roved over my bar as we walked up the short flight of steps. It now looked like an actual tourist destination rather than a rundown dive bar for locals, which is what I'd run for most of my life.

There was even a bouncer at the door, and he simply nodded acknowledgment at Nic and offered me a slight bow before opening the door and letting us inside.

I gasped as we walked in. I'd thought it was good last time, but this was amazing. "It's incredible."

People crowded the place like they just couldn't wait to spend their money, tables were filled with groups, laughing and chattering, and servers wound their way through the tiny spaces left, their hands held high to protect the trays of food from being bumped and jostled.

"Look at Ben." Nic almost had to yell to be heard over the people in the bar.

"Wow."

Ben looked entirely at home behind my bar, full of energy and life as he behaved like some sort of mixologist. He threw bottles through the air, behind his back and filled glasses and cocktail shakers alike, never seeming to stop his energy or patter of chat.

A line of women stood in front of him, their money lined up on the bar.

"That's more than I used to take in a week." I nodded at the cash, and Nic grinned like he wasn't at all surprised.

He squeezed my shoulder. "I knew Ben was the right man for this job. I should speak to him for a moment, though. Will you be okay?"

I nodded, already distracted by my next mission. So much had changed in here, but hopefully some things had stayed the same. A loud familiar laugh rang out just as the crowd in front of me parted, and there they were—Harry and Pierre Allard, the closest thing to uncles I had. They'd watched over me during all the years I'd struggled.

I almost ran over to them, careful to keep my new speed in check.

Pierre stood as soon as he saw me. "Cher," he greeted me as he wrapped me in a fierce bear hug.

I almost cried at the familiarity of him.

Harry took me next, and his hug was just as fierce. "The place looks great," he said thickly, and when I drew back, the tell-tale tracks of tears lingered on his face. "We heard about Jean," he said.

"And we're so sorry, cher," Pierre finished. "At least you can draw comfort from the fact he was getting help. He wanted to be better."

I nodded. Nic had ensured the official story was that Dad had died in rehab from a heart attack. An unexpected tear leaked from my eye, too, and I brushed it away as a tray of shots arrived at the table. I glanced at the bar and Nic caught my gaze, nodding as he did.

"A drink to Dad?" I raised a glass and Harry and Pierre did the same.

The irony that we were drinking to commemorate the passing of an alcoholic didn't pass me by, and it probably didn't for Pierre or Harry either, but Dad would have laughed. He'd have downed more than his fair share, too.

I glanced at the two men with me. This felt right.

We drank for the rest of the night, with Harry and Pierre filling me in on all the changes they'd watched Ben make.

"Are you ever coming back, cher?" Pierre asked, his mouth turned down.

I glanced briefly at Nic. "I don't know."

It was the last answer I'd ever thought I might give. In my head, right up until this moment, I'd always been coming back. But now, with everything so up in the air and dangerous, I simply didn't know.

"Does he make you happy?" Harry pitched his voice low, but Nic would have heard him anyway.

My lips curved into a smile before I answered, though. "Yes."

"That's all we needed to hear." Harry covered my hand with his. "You deserve some happiness."

"And don't worry about us," Pierre chipped in. "We'll keep an eye on this place for you."

I chatted to the two of them for a little while longer before I was aware of Nic's focus changing. When I glanced up, he was saying goodbye to Ben and standing.

"I should get going." My tone was apologetic as I spoke to the two older men. "I'll see you again soon."

After a flurry of hugs and kisses, Nic and I left, my disbelief factor still high at all of the changes Ben had wrought.

Nic and I swung our joined hands loosely as we walked back to his house, down the barely lit road. I watched the fireflies as they darted over the meadows to our left.

"Did you have a nice night?" Nick spoke against a percussion backdrop of crickets.

I nodded. "Yeah, I really did." But at some stage over the course of the night, something inside me had shifted. "It was good to remember Dad with Pierre and Harry."

And maybe that had been the catalyst for my change. I hadn't exactly lost my desire for revenge, but now I wanted more for my future. I wanted happiness with my mate, like Mom would have wanted for me, like Dad would have wanted if he could have thought with a clear head.

I wrapped my arm around Nic's so I could walk closer to him, resting my head against him. "I want forever, Nic."

His muscles shifted as he looked down at me. "We've got forever."

"But I want a life and someone to come home to. I think… I think I want babies, and for us to live long and be happy together."

My need for vengeance had definitely dropped down my priority list, but that didn't bother me.

So much else had been clarified.

Nic dropped a kiss into my hair. "I'll do anything for you, Leia. Anything."