“Sam, you must leave. Now,” he growled.
She rose and knelt by his back, placing a hand on his shoulder. Had she done something wrong? “Leo, please tell me what’s wrong?”
He groaned, almost in agony, and shot her a tormented look over his shoulder. “Leave, dammit! Now!”
She drew back in horror. This wasn’t the man she knew. This wasn’t the man she loved. Biting back her tears, she stumbled from the bed and grabbed her clothes. She tossed him a quick glance as she slipped on her blouse and pulled up her skirt. He was still seated on the edge of his bed, his back to her, his head buried in his hands.
“Dammit, woman! I want you to go!” He growled from beneath his hands.
A sudden fury rose in her chest and her tears of shame fell. She was beyond humiliated. “Damn you, Leo,” she cried, and fled from the room.
* * * *
“I’m already damned, my love,” he said brokenly.
Leo grimaced as he heard the door slam behind her and he released the white knuckle hold he had on himself. Another minute and she would have witnessed his complete transformation into his Lycan beast. His bones expanded, his face shifted, his skin stretched as his body transformed into an eight foot tall beast with jowls, fangs, and brows meeting at the bridge of his nose.
He growled, snapping his jaw furiously. Dammit, his involuntary transformation meant one thing. Sam was his one. The Lycan Legend was real.
When a Lycan made love to his soul mate, the Lycan involuntarily transformed into his beast and his soul mate would turn into a Lycan on the next full moon.
Leo threw his monstrous head back and howled long and loud, his guilt blackening his soul. Dammit! The next full moon was in two days. Two days to tell the woman he loved he had just cursed her into a hellish existence.
He knew he loved her. He never imagined she was his one! He would have never made love to her if he had known. He would have given her a choice.
A part of him wanted to howl with happiness that the woman he fell in love with was his one, but he couldn’t. He had a serious matter to face, preparing her for what she was going to experience in two days.
His eight foot frame stalked to the window and he threw the curtains aside as he stared up into the night sky. If there was a God, Leo prayed He would make Sam embrace his way of life and stay with him. He loved her so much that if he lost her, he might as well plunge silver into his heart.
Slowly he transformed back into his human and expelled a heavy, tortured breath.
He couldn’t lose her. He had to make her stay with him. He hadn’t waited four hundred years to find her, only to lose her.
The back of his eyes burned and he rubbed his hand over his face.
“Forgive me, Sam,” he whispered hoarsely.
* * * *
Sam woke up the next morning feeling no better than she did last night. Humiliation burned in her chest the moment she opened her eyes and shame made her recoil in disgust. The second she had returned to her room last night, she had stepped into the shower and had sobbed until her throat was sore. Then, when she’d gone to bed, she’d cried herself to sleep, her mind going over and over what had happened.
Leo was a monster! A cruel, heartless monster who used women and discarded them like trash. A sob rose in her throat and she flung her covers aside and marched into the shower. Rage mingled with her humiliation this morning. It was so strong she could taste it. It was bitter and pungent.
How she managed to shower and dress in her jeans and white top, she didn’t know. She moved like a robot, going through the motions when all the while, all she wanted to do was pack her bags and call a cab to go to the airport, but she couldn’t leave. She was trapped. Toni could never know about this. It would ruin everything for her and John.
She strode into the kitchen and froze. Leo was seated at the table, drinking his coffee, his gaze snapping to her face the moment she entered.
He put his mug down and rose, his face taut with strain and tension. “I was waiting for you. We need to talk,” he said.
She ignored him and walked to the counter where the coffee machine was. She poured her coffee without saying a word.
“Your silent treatment is not going to work, Sam.”
She swallowed hard before she turned around to look at him. His handsome face, his powerful physique, his sensual mouth all brought memories of their lovemaking back and she pushed the unsettling thoughts away.
“We have nothing to talk about.”
His face turned grim. “I need to explain about last night. I need to tell you why I told you to leave.”
Sam knew where this was leading. “Leo, don’t worry about me. We had sex. That was all. Don’t think for one minute I’m going to pine over you or demand a commitment. It didn’t mean anything.”
“Is that what you think?” He asked, his mood chilling. “You think what happened last night meant nothing?”
Sam shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “We were two consenting adults having sex.”
“That’s the second time you have used that word. Is that what you think it was? Sex?”
“Wasn’t it?” Anger flared up in her chest. How dare he play mind games with her! “You threw me out of your room the second it was over, remember?”
His expression hardened as he ran a rough hand through his hair. “I can explain what happened, but I am afraid you will not believe me.”
“Try me.”
He clenched his jaw. “Very well. Please, have a seat. This may take a while.”
She contemplated telling him she changed her mind and didn’t want to hear what he had to say, but the expression on his face gave her pause. He appeared nervous, almost afraid. She frowned, wondering what was so hard for him to tell her.
Her face blanched. “Oh my God. You can’t be married. Toni would have told me.”
“No. I am not married, Sam.”
“Do you…” She was afraid to ask the question. “Do you have a disease?”
His expression shifted slightly and she detected a hint of a smile. “I am immune to all diseases.” He released a heavy sigh. “Please, Sam, sit down.”
Dazed, she took a seat at the table. What did he mean he was immune to all diseases? No one was.
He took the seat across from her and clasped his hands in front of him on the table. His gaze held hers captive. “What I am about to tell you I have never told anyone in my life. People like me have made an oath to guard and protect our secret.”
She hadn’t expect this. She expected him to say he was afraid of commitment or he wasn’t ready to be with just one woman, anything other than this very odd cloak and dagger stuff. She couldn’t decide if she was frightened or if she wanted to laugh.
“What secret?” She managed to ask in a small voice.
His mouth tensed. “Sam, I am a Lycan.”
It took her a few moments to let the words register. “Did you say Lycan, as in werewolf?”
He nodded, watching her carefully.
Sam didn’t understand. She knew she was looking at him with a dazed expression on her face, her mouth agape. “Did you…did you say you’re a werewolf?”
“I prefer Lycan. A Lycan can shift into both their wolf and Lycan beast forms.”
“Oh, right,” she replied quietly, sipping her coffee as she peered at him over her mug’s rim. Was he serious? “Okay, and I’m the Easter Bunny. I win.”
“Sam, I am four hundred years old and I am immortal.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Okay, that’s enough.”
“I am speaking the truth. My ancestors lived in a small village that was raided by evil Lycans six hundred years ago. It was on a full moon and the ones bitten were turned.”
“Stop it!”
“I was born a Lycan. We stop aging when we reach adulthood.”
She slammed her hands on the table, knocking her mug over. “Enough!”
“No!” he roared suddenly, rising. “You must hear it all. There are
many like us who live on this earth. Vampires, witches, werewolves—they all exist, dammit.”
She gaped at his face, unable to grasp what he was saying, and sunk back into her seat. Grim-faced, he strode to the sink and poured a glass of water. He walked back to her and handed her the glass.
“Drink this,” he ordered. “You look faint.”
She took a deep gulp and looked up at his face. She tried to detect insanity or deceit in him, but she read none of these traits. All she sensed was sincerity. He genuinely believed what he told her.
“You’re not making this up, are you?”
“No,” he said. “Are you feeling better? Shall I continue or do you need more time?”
A nervous giggle escaped from her lips and she sucked in a harsh breath. Was she the crazy one for wanting to believe him? Did she love him so much that she didn’t want to hear his words of rejection and preferred him weaving tales of myths and magic? Was she that desperate?
“I believe sorcery was at work after you and John met Toni,” he said. “I had you and your brother investigated early on, to protect my family from werewolf and vampire hunters. I knew you and John were human, but I didn’t know if I could trust you. In any case, the file I received via email was obviously tampered with. It said you were arrested for fraud, bilking old people out of their fortunes, prostitution. I have my suspicion who was behind the spell.” His face darkened. “Catherine, a woman I was engaged to, is a powerful witch. My family and I believe she had placed me under a spell when we were together.” He paused. “Please, Sam. Say something. Anything.”
Slowly she rose, the blood rushing from her head and she grabbed the edge of the table to steady herself the same time his hands shot out and circled her waist.
“Don’t touch me!” She cried, gasping for air. She caught a flash of anguish on his face as she moved away from him. “Don’t ever touch me,” she said more calmly. “I thought you were crazy. Now I know I’m the crazy one for falling in love with you.”
Without another word, she left the kitchen.
* * * *
The next afternoon, Sam stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a huge, white towel. She padded into the bedroom and combed through her damp hair when she heard a knock at her door.
Since the ridiculous episode with Leo in the kitchen yesterday morning, Sam had made it a habit to lock her door. She wasn’t ready to talk to him yet. She wasn’t sure she would ever be ready.
“Who…who is it?” She called tentatively.
“It’s Maria, koritsimou. Please open the door.”
Relief and fear washed over Sam and she unlocked the door. “Hi, Maria,” she said, her relief fading when she saw the stricken look on the older woman’s face.
“Leo has been in a terrible mood since yesterday morning and he has been asking to see you.”
“Tell him I’m not well,” Sam offered as calmly as she could, but the crack in her voice betrayed her emotions. How would the housekeeper feel if she knew she worked for a madman, Sam wondered?
Maria wrung her hands into a knot and gave Sam an earnest look. “Sam, he… Never mind. I will tell him.”
The housekeeper left and Sam closed the door. She didn’t know how her legs carried her, but they did, and she sunk on the edge of her bed.
A few minutes later, there was another knock at her door. This time it was louder, sharper, impatient. Sam knew who it was even before she heard the muttered curse from the other side of the door. Sam’s gaze flew to the bolt on the door. Her eyes widened in shock. She had forgotten to lock it.
In one swift move, she slipped off the edge of the bed, the sharp movement dislodging the towel from her breasts, and she darted across the room to reach the door. She was too late.
Sam froze, naked, as Leo swung open the door, anger blazing in his eyes. It took him a moment to register her lack of clothing. When he did, he looked visibly shaken as something predatory and wild sprung behind his eyes, making them glitter with unconcealed desire as he dragged his gaze over her breasts, her long limbs, her taut flat belly, and lower to her femininity.
“Put some clothes on,” he said hoarsely. “We need to talk, and talking is the last thing on my mind right now.”
With as much dignity as she could muster, she picked up the towel and wrapped it around her breasts. “What do you want?” She asked huskily.
“Didn’t Maria tell you I wanted to see you?” He demanded.
“Yes.”
“Why did you send her away?”
“Because I’m not…I’m not feeling well.”
“What’s wrong?” He asked sharply, his anger dimming as he gave her face a searching look. “You had too much sun today, and you missed every meal here since yesterday.”
“I didn’t want to dine with you. I’ve been eating out.”
Leo clenched his jaw. “Maria went to a lot of trouble putting the meals together for you. She thinks of you as one of her own now.”
Guilt coursed through her veins and her gaze wavered under his patronizing glare. “I didn’t realize...”
“No, you did not,” he said, propping himself on the edge of the doorway, crossing his arms across his chest, as he regarded her silently for a few moments. Her temper rose. Why was he making her feel guilty? He was the one who hired a private investigator on her. He was the one who insulted her intelligence with wild tales of Lycans. He was the one who seduced her.
“Will you go now?” She asked stiffly.
Leo took a menacing step toward her. “Why?” His gaze grazed her body from head to toe. “Don’t you like it when a man appreciates your lovely body?”
“I’m asking you politely to leave me alone. I’m leaving in a few days and if we can just keep out of each other’s way, we’ll manage nicely.”
Grim-faced, he strode to her. “You said you love me.”
“I don’t love you anymore,” she lied.
His expression softened. “I do not believe you. I can hear your heart beating from here. I can feel the passion running through your veins for me.” He moved closer. “Lycans can only sense these things with their one. Their soul mate. You are my one, Sam.”
Confusion melted away her anger. Was he telling her he loved her? If he loved her, then why did he have to invent that wild tale about Lycans? And what of the endless ocean between their homes? That hadn’t changed. It was still there, lying like a malevolent ghost, taunting and nipping away at her happiness.
“What are you saying?” She asked in a small voice.
“I love you, Sam.”
Her heart lifted and soared at the words. He loved her! Everything disappeared from her mind except those three little words and she released a small whimper and let the towel drop to the floor as she flung herself into his arms. He groaned as he gathered her close, whispering hoarsely into her damp hair, “My one.”
She pressed her body up against his, female against male, and wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him with reckless abandonment.
Leo ran his hands over her back, her bottom, her shoulders, leaving a scorching trail. Sam moaned against his mouth, squeezing her eyes against the threat of tears. He loved her, she thought, ignoring the taunting little voice in her head, reminding her of Lycans, Katina, and the ocean between them. She was too happy in this moment to dwell on anything that could threaten her joy.
He carried her to the bed and laid her down, his face taut with desire and need. He ran a hungry, dark gaze over her body as he quickly shed his clothes. And then he was on top of her and Sam arched her body to meet his as he ran hot, ardent kisses over her face. This may have been the last time she was going to be with him and she clung to him like a drowning woman to air. She didn’t want this to end.
“I want you now, Leo,” she whispered.
The dark, possessive look he gave her sent a tremor through her limbs and she lifted the lower part of her body to meet his.
Without another word, he entered her, swiftly and sharply, a
nd she cried out. He filled her completely and they began to move in unison. Sam arched her neck and closed her eyes as the escalating pressure in her womb mounted. She dug her nails into his back and wrapped her legs around him.
Leo climaxed with one final, hard thrust, spending his seed in her and Sam followed as she soared to the heavens and then plummeted to earth.
“Under no circumstances do we delay our talk,” he practically growled into her neck. He raised his head and gave her a determined look. “I’m going to shower and we meet in the library in thirty minutes. Understood?” He added harshly, dropping a hard kiss on her bruised lips.
All she could do was nod.
Chapter 10
Thirty minutes later, Sam was ready to meet Leo. She dressed in a simple pair of beige shorts, a white top and slipped on her brown sandals. Her hair misbehaved, so she pulled it up into a messy knot at the base of her neck. A few tendrils escaped the clip and she let the wisps fall and frame her glowing, tanned face.
Sam glanced at her watch and inhaled an unsteady breath. Leo was waiting for her. A few minutes later, she was opening the door to the library and saw Leo standing by the bar. Her heart skipped a beat as she ran her gaze over him. His dark hair was still damp from his shower and he was dressed in blue jeans and a black T-shirt. He looked up and saw her, his gaze flickering approvingly over her appearance. “Would you like something to drink?” He asked.
“No, thank you.”
He strode to the couch and motioned for her to join him. “Please, have a seat.”
After she settled beside him, she realised how nervous she was. Her heart beat like a caged bird.
“Sam, have you been feeling any different since the first time we made love?”
“No. Why do you ask?”
His face turned grim. “Sam, do you remember earlier when I told you that you were my one, my soul mate?” She nodded. “I realised we were bound by destiny right after we made love.” He took a deep breath. “Lycans control their turning, but when a Lycan makes love their one for the first time, they involuntarily transform into their Lycan beast. I had to tell you to leave otherwise you would have seen me transform.”
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