by Danica Avet
He’d changed so much since Ruby had come into his life. At first Pagan had thought it couldn’t be worth it, the uncertainty, the fear, but he’d sounded so in tune with Ruby she’d known he loved the Amazon. Learning Ruby was, in fact, the Blood Maiden Tribe’s Lost Child, she’d feared Lucian was setting himself up for heartbreak. But Ruby had changed Pagan’s mind. The woman was head over heels in love with him and would make him a strong life-mate.
But Lucian acted as though he had no more consideration for Ruby than he would for any other Chieftain. In fact, he was eyeing a woman at the bar.
Pagan stiffened. He wouldn’t. He did. He left her sitting at the table and approached the woman while Pagan watched him with a disbelieving face. He leaned over to whisper in the human’s ear, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out they were leaving together.
The minute they disappeared from view, Pagan was on her feet, glowering after him. How could he do this to himself? Oh gods! How could he do this to Ruby? Ruby, who loved him so desperately she’d turned herself in to Council even though it meant her freedom!
Feeling sick with the knowledge that her friend was no longer the man she’d thought him to be, Pagan left the bar.
* * * *
Lucian leaned against the alley wall and pondered the human woman standing before him. He’d come out here expressly to erase Pagan’s disapproval from his mind and attempt to forget Ruby. The human woman was beautiful and mere weeks ago, he’d have been all over her, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t seem to make his body respond to her. She looked at him with hungry anticipation that he wasn’t going to appease. He sighed deeply and pulled her towards him to take her vein.
Her ensuing pleasure was easily forgotten as Lucian grimaced at the bland taste of her blood. Ruby tasted like spiced wine, her blood sweeping through his mouth like sunshine. The human moaned loudly, reaching orgasm as Lucian finished feeding. He gently eased her back through the door of The Pit and readjusted his clothing.
A whisper of sound met his ears as he walked towards the street. There, at the mouth of the alley was a figure that stopped him dead in his tracks.
Impossible, his numb mind thought. She was supposed to be with her family in godsforsaken Vermilion Parish, not in New Orleans, and definitely not in the alley he’d attempted to cheat on her in. There was no way the Fates would be so cruel, he thought in anguish, but there she was. His Ruby.
He saw she was wearing leather breeches that hugged her full hips and long legs, her torso covered in a scarlet tunic belted at her waist by the whip she’d defeated Bianca with. He’d heard about the fight at least a dozen times tonight, and his arms ached to hold her and kiss every spot Bianca’s whip had touched. Her hair shone with health in the dim light of the alley. Lucian took his time taking stock of her, noting there seemed to be something different about her, but unwilling to dwell on it while she was looking at him as though he’d betrayed her. Again.
“Ruby,” he said, starting towards her, stopping when he got a good look at her face. The affection was gone, he thought in shock. The light that usually burned in her black eyes had never failed to make him feel ten feet tall, but now the precious look was gone. Instead, he saw pure hate blazing at him from his mate. His mate! He’d shamed his mate in the worst way imaginable. His throat closed up, and his eyes burned ominously.
“Ruby, please, let me explain,” he stammered, stumbling towards her, his hand lifting. If he could just touch her, she’d realize he was a fool who needed one more chance to make it up to her. She’d see he needed her like no other, that the human woman had been nothing more than an experiment. She’d forgive him.
“Keep your hands to yourself, vampire,” she hissed coldly.
Lucian stopped abruptly. She swept her gaze over him, and Lucian felt a burn of shame creep up his cheeks. Had it been last night he’d held her in his arms and loved her all night long? He felt filthy. Not just from his betrayal, but from knowing she deserved so much better than him.
“I don’t know why I came here, Lucian, but I’m glad I did.” She raised her hand in quiet dignity before he could speak, her face never giving him a glimpse of a single emotion except disgust. “I guess I thought we should clear the air, maybe see if we could work something out.” She laughed harshly before visibly pulling herself together. “Anyway, my door will always be open to Council.” She stressed the word, clearly stating he was not welcome unless it was in the formal capacity.
She turned away from him and Lucian couldn’t help the stumbling step he took towards her. “Ruby, wait. Let me explain what happened. I─”
Ruby swung around with an ugly laugh. “Don’t you get it yet, Lucian? I don’t need you anymore, and you never needed me. Now it’s over for good. You don’t have to feel guilty about me anymore. It was an experience, that’s for sure.” She laughed again, though there wasn’t any amusement in her voice.
“But, Ruby, how did you find me?” Lucian asked when he could finally find his voice. Unfortunately, by the look on Ruby’s face, his tone suggested he wasn’t glad to see her when that wasn’t the truth.
Lucian couldn’t describe the feelings he was experiencing. All he knew was, the minute he’d seen her, his entire body felt as though it were lit by a million candles. He cursed his drunken decision to step out with the human woman, knowing his mate had seen him at his worst. He stubbornly refused to believe her words. She loved him, he knew that. He’d known that when he let her be taken away by the Council, but his sense of honor demanded he put the Veil’s needs before his own. Now, he knew he couldn’t live without her.
When he’d informed his fellow Councilors he wasn’t going to pursue Ruby any longer, the other Councilors acted as though he’d committed high treason, which, in a way, he had. Lucian knew, as well as every other Veilerian, mates were a precious gift from the Gods. Nearly every mating resulted in a love match that lasted through time. Lucian had seen the devotion of mates and envied them, and then he had turned his back on his own. Council was concerned not only because of his less than honorable treatment of Ruby, but in her they saw a powerful political ally. With her powers, she could make or break the Veil and, as a Councilor, Lucian had put that alliance at risk.
Ruby sneered at him, the expression alien on her kind face. “I was coming to find you,” she said disgustedly.
Lucian closed his eyes and slumped against the brick wall behind him. “It isn’t what you think, Ruby,” he began softly.
“That’s funny, Lucian. It looked like you were about to fuck a bimbo in a dirty alley and since the evidence speaks for itself,” she cut in, her glance falling to his mouth where Lucian could feel the human woman’s blood trickling down his chin, “don’t waste my time. I really don’t care anymore. Live your life like you want; just don’t bother lying to me.”
Feeling another flush work its way up his neck, Lucian wiped his chin, straightened his shirt, and began again. “I couldn’t—it wasn’t…it didn’t happen,” he stammered awkwardly. Inwardly, he cursed. He was known for his glib tongue, but in the presence of his cold, hardened mate, he was as lost as a schoolboy. The guilt of his transgression weighed heavily on him and that guilt worked to make him angry. “It was nothing!” he suddenly shouted. “She was nothing!”
“Then I feel sorry for you, Lucian,” she shot back, her voice laden with pity. “I know you never felt anything more for me than lust, but at least I can honestly say I didn’t use anyone. I genuinely cared for you,” she continued, her voice growing softer, warmer. “I wanted you to be happy. Part of me still does, but you—you only live for your position. I pity you, Lucian. But not enough to let you hurt me again.”
She turned around and walked away. Lucian followed her at a distance, unable to let her out of his sight. On the edge of the street, four equally tall and lethal women stepped up next to her. Her personal guard, he realized.
She moved easily through the crowd on Bourbon Street, no longer reeling from strange, impersonal t
ouches. She’d conquered her fear. She was a strong woman who walked with her head high as she sailed through the crowds that parted as soon as she approached. Lucian noticed several men eyeing her with lust and nearly tore the throat of one who caught up to her long strides and began talking to her.
Ruby was his mate, he thought angrily, pushing people out of his way. No mortal would be able to love her as much as he did. She was beautiful and brave and had a heart as big as the universe. She was perfection. He loved her because she managed to do all the things he’d been certain she couldn’t do. She shattered the glass ceiling of his expectations of her.
So what that she’d managed to save herself and robbed him of the chance to play the hulking Alpha male? That was part of her beauty. She didn’t need him to survive, but she’d loved him once. She still could because he needed her more than any position of power.
Lucian realized he hadn’t honored his brother’s memory after all. Bernard wouldn’t have approved of Lucian shunning his life-mate. Bernard had died for his love. How could Lucian do any less?
He watched the human male say something that made her laugh. She shook her head, making the male give a regretful sigh as he let her go on without him. The human was joined by his friends who ribbed him good-naturedly as they all watched the beautiful Amazons saunter away.
She carried herself like a queen, he thought warmly. No, not a queen, a Chieftain. She’d finally pulled the mantle of her office around her, bathing those around her in the power she exuded. A power even the most obtuse human could feel.
Lucian decided then and there, in the midst of thousands of humans, he would do everything in his power to win her back. She was his mate, and she would be his forever.
He just had a few things to do before he could prove how much she meant to him.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Five months later…
Ruby felt free. She was in her own home again, or sort of her own home. She still hadn’t gotten used to the idea of owning five mansions across the U.S. and several millions of dollars. It was a lot for her to take in. She often felt like an imposter walking through the lush halls of Julius’ homes, but other times she felt like she’d come full circle.
Not that she was ever alone anymore. Briggs was still her smelly, constant companion, most of the time. He loathed long walks just as much as ever, preferring to stay inside to bathe in his groaning, flatulent magnificence. But there were no longer any solitary walks in the woods. Any time she stepped foot outside, one of her Amazon guards would alert the others and she was surrounded. Albreda even insisted four guards accompany her on her daily wilderness treks. Today’s guards were Choctaw, Saga, Morganna the Bald, and Izzy.
Ruby was glad of their presence, even though part of her resented their constant watch. Putting her hand to her back, she rested a few minutes, breathing in the deep musk of the forest and freshly turned earth. Her guard respected her need for isolation, keeping out of sight.
In the stages of her final weeks of pregnancy, Ruby was sure she shouldn’t be quite so far from the house, but the woods called to her. Remembering the simplicity of her human life eased her. She was no longer Ruby the hermit. She was now Ruby, the last Chieftain of the Elk Fire line. She felt pride in her achievements. She’d finally found her niche. It had taken her stumbling into a supernatural world, but she was an honored citizen in it. She no longer stood on the fringes of life; she was a part of it.
It hadn’t all been sunshine and daisies though. The first couple of weeks had been the worse. Missing Lucian so much and angered over her last images of him, she’d cried nonstop. Ruby rubbed her right eye as it teared up. Dammit. More often than she wanted to admit, she’d find herself on the verge of calling Pagan to find out how he was doing and if he was with another woman yet. She’d always drop the phone like it was a hot poker. Her pride had been the only thing keeping her going, but now she had something else. A child. A baby to love and care for. She smiled, smoothing a hand over her rounded belly.
The voracious hunger that had gripped her at the celebratory bonfire had been the first stages of pregnancy. Within two weeks, her emotions were ping-ponging all over the place, she cried at the drop of a hat, and became hornier than a fifteen-year-old boy on prom night. Within the month, her belly had begun to balloon. Apparently, baby vampires didn’t require as much time to “bake,” as Izzy said.
Only her family and Kali knew about her condition. When she was approached by a group in need of her services, she made sure she was enveloped in heavy robes to hide her ever-expanding belly. Ruby wasn’t about to let any of Lucian’s friends know about her baby on the off chance they’d let it slip to him. Not that she wanted to keep Lucian from his child, but she didn’t want him around with expectations of how they should go on. Knowing his sense of honor, he’d bully her into living with him as his mate. Not that she wasn't tempted to do just that.
She sighed, leaning softly against a tall pecan tree. Deep in her heart, she still loved him and craved his presence like a drug, but she couldn’t live through that agony again. Even remembering it caused her breath to quicken in pain. No, it was best for him to know nothing of her baby until she was ready to face him. Then, once she was more secure in her position as Chieftain and confident she wouldn’t break down at the first sight of her mate, she’d approach him about it. He’d be furious, but she could live with that.
She’d just decided it was time to head back to the house when she heard sounds of a fight echo through the woods. Ruby’s heart pounded. She quickly slipped into the trees, trying to see who was attacking her sisters. No sooner than she saw Choctaw wrestling with a large male figure did Ruby find herself grabbed from behind, a hand cupped over her mouth.
Instinct guiding her movements, she stomped her heel on his toes and sent her elbow flying into his midsection. He grunted in pain, but didn’t release her. She struggled wildly, her breath rushing in and out of her mouth, her only thought to protect her baby. She inhaled again and stilled.
Ruby’s nostrils quivered with the scent she drew into her nose. She recognized his scent. Lucian. For one weak moment, she let her body relax against him, reveling in the feel of his taller, more powerful frame supporting hers. She’d been so alone! When his arms slipped around her to pull her more firmly against him, Ruby remembered she wasn’t shaped the same and he would know.
She pulled away, whirling around to face him. Her heart froze. He looked exhausted. New lines bracketed his mouth, and there was a pinched look around his eyes as though he had a perpetual headache. Her heart went out to him. Lucian’s hair was much longer than it had been the last time she saw him, nearly to his hips and tousled, like he hadn’t bothered brushing it. There was a frantic glitter in his eyes as they devoured her face. Ruby made sure to step into the shadows a bit, hoping they would distort her figure further.
“Ruby,” he breathed her name, his eyes lit by something she was too afraid to identify. He moved so fast she could barely track him. One second he was ten feet away, the next he was so close to her they were nearly touching. Lucian quickly rectified that by brushing her hair away from her face, cupping her jaw in his big hand. “Ruby, oh baby,” he muttered, brushing his lips over her eyelids and cheekbones. Tracing his mouth along the scrolling tattoos on her temples, he breathed, “I missed you so much. You’ll never know how much.”
Ruby trembled, feeling her tremors echoed in Lucian’s body. His body was taut with tension, but he held her so gently she almost melted into a puddle of Amazonian goo. Hearing the battle still raging brought her back to herself. She pushed him away, careful to keep her arms low enough so their torsos didn’t touch.
“What are you doing here, Lucian?” Ruby asked as calmly as possible, though she could hear the crack in her voice. It felt so good to be touched by him. The hugs she’d received from friends and family were reduced to pathetic attempts just from the feel of his hands on her shoulders.
For a moment, she thought he wouldn’t
answer her. He stared at her so long and hard, Ruby knew he could see straight through her heavy robes to the rounded belly aimed in his direction.
“I came for my mate. Your bodyguards wouldn’t leave peacefully, so my men are trussing them up to give us time to talk privately.” He sounded so calm and reasonable Ruby almost didn’t understand what he said.
“Trussing them up?” she asked bewilderedly. She looked around. Sure enough, her bodyguards were being tied up by the burly men. “What?” Then it hit her, the first thing he said. “Coming for your mate?” she screamed up at him, beyond anger. All the hurt she’d suffered at his hands came back to her. She let loose with a fist and punched him right in his arrogant eye.
“You bastard!” Ruby realized she was probably worked up more than she needed to be, but her emotions were like a train, and Lucian was on the tracks. “You arrogant, pigheaded, son of a bitch! You did not just appear out of nowhere and incapacitate my guards, my kinswomen! And now you expect to claim me for your little woman? I don’t think so!” She kicked him in the shin and gave him a left hook in the breadbasket.
He was looking at her in complete astonishment.
“I’m glad I have your attention, you long-fanged idiot. I am the Lineage Chieftain. I answer to no one. I belong to no one. I’ve started a new life here. I’m not going back with you to be smothered in the plastic bubble you want to wrap me in, so you can forget it!” Ruby was good and mad and determined to let Lucian have it with both barrels. “The last time I saw you I told you I didn’t need you, didn’t I? Well, guess what, bub, I still don’t need you. I made a life for myself here with my sisters. They are all I need, not you and your misguided attempts to give me to the Council under whatever guise you decide.”
Lucian just stared at her, his eyes taking in everything calmly and quietly.