by Grosso, Kym
Luca opened his mouth, about to disagree, when Logan walked into the room with Kade and Sydney. As much as he wanted to argue the point further, he didn’t want to upset his lovely pregnant wife-to-be.
“Hey, you’re missing all the fireworks.” Dimitri jumped up and clapped a hand on Logan’s shoulder.
“Yeah, I heard some yelling going on.” Logan’s eyes shot to Léopold. “Why am I not surprised?”
Léopold laughed. While it was true that Logan was paying a debt by watching Ava, he could tell that it hadn’t been that much of a hardship. When he’d first arrived, both Logan and Wynter had been fawning over the baby, looking like a picture perfect family. The Alpha and his mate would be wonderful parents, but they all knew the danger the child represented.
“Come, mon ami. Let’s discuss our plans for keeping our petit bébé safe,” Léopold suggested. “Sydney. Meet Laryssa. She has…how should I say? Similar abilities to Ava.”
Laryssa noticed the blonde detective right away and knew she’d been identified.
“Laryssa? Laryssa Theriot?” Sydney approached her and held out her hand.
Laryssa stood and greeted her. “Hello, detective.”
Léopold raised his eyebrows, surprised that they knew each other. How did Sydney know Laryssa? Had she been in trouble with the law?
“Laryssa here, volunteers on diving assignments. One of the best I’m told,” Sydney explained. “We met on a case. Unfortunately, the search and rescue didn’t turn out so well.”
“The calls on the river are never good news.” Laryssa shook off the compliment, fully aware of why they thought she was a good diver. After hours of searching, they’d called off a rescue but she’d stayed on in the murky water, finally finding the missing kid. She shuddered, remembering how the teen had lain listlessly at the bottom, the body stuck under debris.
“A woman of many skills, I see,” Léopold noted, giving Laryssa a look that told her he intended to find out more about her.
“Well, we really appreciate your help.” Sydney sat down into a chair, and a man came up behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders. “Sorry, I forgot to introduce you to my fiancé. This is Kade. He heads up the vamps down here. They’re a wily bunch. I could hear Luca all the way upstairs. A real troublemaker.”
Laryssa almost laughed at the casual way the detective talked about the vampires. Luca cracked a small smile at the comment, revealing to her that they all knew each other well.
“I’m Logan,” the Alpha said, grabbing his mate for a kiss.
“Hi,” Laryssa managed. This was the Alpha of the Acadian wolves? He looked more like a love strewn puppy than a ferocious leader of the pack.
“Les tourtereaux,” Léopold shook his head. “Come, sit. Time for business.”
Laryssa gave him a puzzled look, not understanding his French.
“Lovebirds,” he translated. “It appears the mates can’t keep their hands off each other.”
She smiled in understanding, but a twitch of yearning for that kind of relationship flitted through her heart. Between the Alpha and his mate and the other couples, she could see the love in their eyes, causing a twinge of jealousy. The odds of finding a man who’d accept her were exceedingly low. Even her family had tossed her out on her ear.
A hand on her shoulder reminded her why she was there, and she gazed up into Léopold’s eyes. As if he knew what she was thinking, he brushed the back of his fingers down her cheek and gave a small smile. The gesture caused her to blush, and as much as she wanted to look away from him, she was mesmerized by his eyes.
Léopold was aware that he couldn’t keep his hands off of Laryssa. In a day, the subject of his search had gone from a suspect to the object of his desire. If it had been any other woman, he’d already have fucked her, leaving before the bed grew cool. But his little rabbit affected him in a way that was entirely too intense. Not only could he feel the power pouring out of her skin, he was certain he’d been able to reciprocate, calming her when she’d grown anxious. The crease in her brow had smoothed as soon as he’d touched her. Goddess, he’d have to have her soon. Pretending he could deny himself was becoming increasingly difficult as the minutes passed. He hoped like hell that if he assuaged the need, the passing fancy would cease like the wind. For now, he needed to concentrate on why he’d brought her here, why he’d gathered his trusted men along with Logan’s. Protecting Ava was paramount.
“Logan and I would like to discuss how we’re going to keep the baby safe,” he began. “They tried to kill her once.”
“And we can’t risk another try on her life,” Logan added.
“Which is why we’re going to take shifts watching over her. It’s best we keep her in one location, here with Logan and Wynter. Ava’s wolf. She needs to be with pack,” Léopold asserted.
“Laryssa can’t stay here, though,” Samantha commented. “Whatever’s after the baby is probably after her too.”
“I’ll take care of Laryssa. But I need everyone here to work with Logan on the schedule, at least for a few days until we find and eliminate the threat,” Léopold told them.
“Everyone except Samantha,” Luca said.
“Oui.” Léopold nodded.
“Hey, just because I’m preggo doesn’t mean I can’t help out with the baby. It’ll be good practice,” Samantha protested.
“No way, darlin’. Too dangerous.” Luca placed his hand over her belly.
“But, I…”
“For once, Luca and I are in agreement. Even though I’ve seen your magic do some damage, we don’t want to risk another baby’s life.” There was no way Léopold would let Samantha stay with the Alpha. He ignored the rolling of Samantha’s eyes but was glad she didn’t argue. With both Luca and Léopold against the idea, she didn’t stand a chance of winning. “What you can do is talk to Ilsbeth. Find out what kind of wards you can set on this place so that she’s better hidden.”
“Avery’s set wards at my place,” Laryssa added. “But I’m not sure they’re working right. That’s why I met her last night, to see what else I could do. She said she’d have to talk to Ilsbeth.”
“It’s important that we keep Ava under wraps. That means the fewer people who know she’s here, the better,” Léopold said. “Kade’s bringing in two of his people to keep guard.”
“Dominique and Xavier,” Kade confirmed.
“You sure about Xavier? He was pretty tight with Étienne,” Logan asked. Although it had been a few weeks, Logan couldn’t shake the memory of the vampire who’d nearly killed Wynter.
“He’s a man of honor. You have my word that he’d never hurt Ava,” Kade assured them.
“Jake and Zeke also know. They can be trusted.” Logan also had seen his fair share of traitors within his pack. Fiona had been a trusted she-wolf who’d plotted against him and tried to kill his mate.
“But no one else can find out the child is here, got it? You’re going to need some kind of excuse to keep the pack away,” Léopold suggested.
“Wynter and I can come up with something. To be honest, I’ve been trying to keep the house just for us anyway. They all know we just mated…been kind of busy, ya know. Really busy up until our little visitor arrived.” Logan smiled at Wynter, enjoying the blush that painted her cheeks. “Besides, if the pack wants to get together socially, they’ve got plenty of places to go besides my house. And meetings are held at the pack house. I think we’ll be good.”
“What about the girl?” Luca asked pointedly, annoyed that Laryssa still hadn’t been candid about her abilities. “We’ve established that she feels energy or she thinks she feels it. She’s got some kind of special skills. But we haven’t seen a damn thing.”
“By girl, I assume you’re talking about Laryssa? I’m pretty sure she’s a woman. All woman from where I’m sittin’. How ’bout showin’ a little respect, fang boy?” Dimitri growled. Vampire or not, he was ready to deck him if he said one more derogatory thing about Laryssa.
Luca, dul
y chastised, stared at Léopold, waiting for an answer.
“Macquarie, I recall a time not too long ago when I saved your ass. So I suggest you take heed of the wolf and watch your words carefully. Laryssa will be staying with me.” Léopold suppressed the grin that lingered behind his impassive tone. The shocked expression that Laryssa wore had not gone unnoticed. Well, I can’t tell her everything. After all, she was keeping secrets as well. And he planned to find out every last one. The only way he could do that was to spend time with her. “We’ll go see Ilsbeth. Her spells are nice, but the witch is often more valuable for her information. I suspect she’ll have knowledge about why someone would try to kill Ava and possibly even who that person is. Laryssa can explain best what she is, and she will be fully disclosing that information to me soon.” Whether she likes it or not, he thought to himself.
“So now that that’s settled, anyone have anything else they want to lay on the table? I admit we don’t have much to go on here, but we’ve got to find whoever is behind trying to kill the child.” Léopold instinctively reached for Laryssa’s hand. He wasn’t just worried about Ava. No, he had to keep them both safe.
“I’ll take first watch. I’m off duty tonight and I want to go over the exits and entrances one more time. We’ve gotta make sure this place is sealed up tight,” Sydney advised. “I can call in extra support from the station.”
“I don’t think we should go there yet. We don’t know if the threat is human or not. No offense, detective, but we can’t trust others. This is pack business now. We take care of our own,” Logan told her.
“You sure, Alpha?” Kade’s eyebrows drew tight.
“Let’s just see where Léopold gets with Ilsbeth first. If she thinks we need to do something else to keep Ava safe, we’ll do it. The last thing I need is cops crawlin’ around here. If anything, we’d call in P-CAP, and I’m not crazy about that idea either.” P-CAP, the Paranormal City Alternative Police, was a supernatural-run sector, but Logan didn’t trust them, given it was comprised mostly of vampires. He knew that Kade had been involved with them, but if they were in on what was happening with the child, there’d be no way to keep the information about her contained, secret from the rest of the pack.
“We’ll hold off on P-CAP for now, but if things heat up, we’re going to need backup and Syd can’t do this on her own,” Kade concluded.
“I hear ya, but if you want this kept under the radar, we’ve gotta keep this between us. As it stands now, pack is gonna wonder why my place is vamp central. They all know Léopold saved Wynter, so they’re okay with him being here. The rest of you…well, I’m afraid that’ll take some explaining.”
“As long as Sydney’s wearin’ a badge, she can always make up some excuse about being here. It’s not like we don’t have crime on the streets,” Dimitri noted. “A human officer is welcome. The second you start bringin’ in more supes, badge or not, the wolves are gonna know something’s not right.”
Ava started to cry and Samantha stood, rocking her back and forth.
“Sounds like someone’s hungry,” Wynter said. “Let me get her bottle.”
“Sydney stays tonight with the Alpha and his mate. Any other comments? Suggestions?” Léopold was met with deafening silence. They all knew it wasn’t the best plan but they didn’t know the danger that was coming for them. Léopold stood and crossed the room, extending his arms to Samantha. “May I?”
“Of course.” The witch kissed the fussy infant’s forehead and gently placed the baby into Léopold’s waiting arms.
Léopold knew they were all watching him, astounded that someone who they perceived to be the hand of death had the capability to show mercy and compassion toward a child. He ignored their stares and focused on Ava. None of them would be able to fathom the excruciating, churning memories that flared within him. The warmth of Ava’s tiny body spread through his hands, spearing grief through his dark heart, cleaving it open where he’d sealed his painful past. When he looked into her blue eyes, a spark of healing gave way to hope. Could I ever have what was stolen from me all those years ago? He closed his eyes for a second, imagining that his ability to love could be resuscitated, renewed.
As he lifted his lids, he caught Laryssa’s insightful gaze. Was it possible that she’d felt his pain? That perhaps he couldn’t hide the darkness of his past any longer? Goddess, no. He couldn’t afford to acknowledge the sliver of faith he clutched to like a thread at the end of the rope. Awkwardly, he blinked and turned away, trying to avoid the erupting feelings that clutched at his chest. An expert at cloaking his emotions, Léopold smiled at Ava. None of them would find out what lay deep in the recesses of his mind. Like an actor, he’d pull off the grand façade and protect Ava. Then as soon as it was all over, he’d leave for another city, resuming his empty but immortal life.
Chapter Five
As Léopold rocked the baby, Wynter and Laryssa stood in the doorway, observing from a distance. They’d set up a crib inside their master bedroom so they could watch over the infant at night. Wynter quietly closed the door to the bedroom so that she could talk to the stranger who’d come to their home.
“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.”
