“More wrong than attacking people?” Sera asked, still clearly not ready to forgive them.
“Sera,” Leo said, hoping to stop her. He looked at her imploringly. He didn’t blame her for not understanding. She had never been under the control of an alpha.
He remembered his dad threatening him that if he didn’t end his relationship with Henri he would force Leo to kill him. He’d told his dad that if he did that then he would challenge him. His dad hadn’t been willing to risk losing either his life or that of his son’s. It made him shudder to think of what his dad could have made him do to Henri. It was the main reason why Leo chose to be free of a pack.
“So now that you’re their alpha, what will you do?” Sera asked. “I mean, can you just…not be? I remember what Bale said to you when you took me to his hotel, he said that you didn’t want to be an alpha.”
“He was right,” Leo said. “I don’t…but no, I can’t just not be one, I am one.”
Henri moved on and bandaged up Karl’s shoulder. “The way I can feel you through our bond, Leo can now feel his pack.”
“How many of them are there?” Sera asked.
“Fifty-six,” Justin answered.
“Jesus.” Sera looked deep into Leo’s eyes. He could tell that she didn’t know what to say, or how to make it better. Leo just loved that she wanted to.
“How did you heal Henri?” Justin asked her. “I mean, I’ve heard about nephilim blood having healing properties, but a werewolf bite should be fatal.”
He asked a question that they were all thinking, all except for Henri, Leo suspected. He knew Henri well. He could tell that his brain was working overtime.
“Henri?”
Henri finished what he was doing and looked over at him. “I have a theory.”
“You do?” Sera asked. She put the alcohol and wipes away and went over to the sink to wash her hands.
Leo watched Henri’s face carefully for any hint of what he was about to say.
“You’re not a nephilim,” Henri said.
All four of them looked at Henri like he was insane.
“You’re crazy,” Karl said. “Smell her.”
“As a vampire, I don’t know how you can stand to be in the same room as her,” Justin said. “Even I can tell what she is.”
“Really?” Henri asked. “Have you ever actually met a nephilim before?”
“Well, no,” Justin admitted. “But I’ve heard about them. They smell like sunshine, right? Well, she reeks of it.”
Sera sent Justin an unhappy frown at his choice of words.
“Then what am I?” she asked Henri.
The vampire walked over to her and took her hand in both of his. “You can do things that no nephilim I’ve ever heard of can do. Your blood cured what was supposed to be a lethal bite. You don’t know who either of your parents are.”
Leo frowned as he tried to work out where Henri was going with this.
“I believe that one of your parents, most likely your father, was an angel, and you mother was a nephilim,” Henri said.
Leo chewed it over in his head. “Making Sera three quarters angel.”
Sera shook her head. “Yeah, I’m still coming to terms with the fact that angels even exist.”
“Your abilities are stronger than any I’ve ever heard of,” Henri told her. “Nephilim blood isn’t strong enough to heal a werewolf bite, but an angel’s is.”
“Have you ever met one?” she asked. “An angel, I mean.”
Leo could hear her heartbeat, it was erratic. He placed his hand around her waist and pulled her against him for comfort.
“No,” Henri told her. “They’re capable of hiding themselves in plain sight. I could pass one in the street and not even realise.”
“Then how do you know all this?” Sera asked.
“I’ve read a lot of books,” Henri explained. “In fact, I have one in the library that you should read. It’s very old and it has a lot of information about all underworlders.”
Leo knew it was going to take Sera some time to process all of the new information. There were other things to be doing, things that needed his attention. All he had wanted for tonight was to run and play under the full moon with his pack, Henri and Sera. Now, he could feel them all, as though they were waking up to the fact they had a new alpha.
“Justin, make some calls,” he said. “Let the pack know what happened.”
Justin nodded once and caught the phone that Leo tossed to him.
“What are you going to do?” Henri asked.
Not only was this the last thing Leo wanted, but it was no doubt the last thing Henri wanted, too.
“I’m going to call a pack meeting. Anyone who wants to leave, can. Those who want me as their alpha will have to move,” Leo said. He didn’t say it, but he was hoping they would all choose to leave and go in search of another alpha. An alpha could release members of his pack, or could banish them, but the member couldn’t just leave of their own volition.
“Well, just when I thought our lives couldn’t get more complicated,” Henri said.
Chapter Twenty
The study had become Sera’s favourite place in the house. There was a desk and a comfortable chair to sit on and a dozen or so bookshelves filled with books. Over the past month she had made quite a dent on those books. That, coupled with the fact she had been having lessons with Carolynn, she finally felt, for the first time in her life, that she was taking control.
Leo was out helping the ten pack members who had chosen to stay with him into their new homes. The hotel in London had been sold and split between them. With the money they had bought three houses in town. Justin, Karl, and Eddy were among the ones who chose to stay with Leo. There was only one child, Karl’s little girl. Sera was already very fond of her.
Sera was so engrossed in her reading that she didn’t hear the door open. She was reading about banshees when Henri came and sat down beside her.
“Hi,” she said as she looked up from the page.
Henri’s smile always had an amused edge to it. He loved that she was so fond of his books and encouraged her to read certain ones.
“At this rate, you’re going to know more about the underworld than I do,” Henri quipped.
Sera moved to lay down so that her head was in his lap. She continued reading for a time while the vampire stroked her hair. It was nice, hell, it was more than nice, it was something close to domestic bliss.
It had been a pretty quiet month. Sera had come to terms with what she was, well, as much as she ever would. Life with Henri and Leo was great, even with the struggles they still faced. She had more of a grip on her powers now, too. Though she still couldn’t control them completely, Carolynn had taught her to meditate and channel certain emotions to power her abilities. She could move things with her mind if she focused hard enough, though it tired her out pretty quickly. Carolynn had told her it was like any other muscle. It just needed building up.
“When’s Leo coming home?” she asked, looking up at Henri.
Henri looked at the watch on his wrist. “Soon. Are you finished packing?”
Sera smiled up at him and closed her book. “Yes.”
At midnight she was turning twenty-three. Henri and Leo were taking her to Henri’s London flat for the night. She knew they had planned something special to mark the occasion, but they hadn’t told her what. Typically she hated surprises, but then she had never gotten a good one before.
“So, you’re really not going to give me any hints about what we’re doing?” she asked. It wasn’t the first time over the last week she had asked that question.
Henri smiled down at her fondly before he lowered his head and placed a kiss on her hairline.
“Now where would be the fun in that?”
Henri looked like he was about to say more but he stopped himself. “Leo’s home.”
The supernatural hearing both Leo and Henri had was something Sera was jealous of. She got up, closed her book,
and followed Henri out of the study.
Leo was standing in the kitchen, downing a glass of water at the sink. He was sweaty and the white T-shirt he was wearing was marked with what looked like oil and dirt. Sera watched him as he pulled his shirt up to wipe his sweaty brow, displaying his well-defined abs. She almost whimpered at how perfect the werewolf’s body was.
“I thought you were just helping them get settled in,” Henri said.
Having wiped his forehead, Leo then pulled the shirt clean off. “There was a problem with the boiler and the drain in the bathroom.”
“So being an alpha is everything you dreamed it would be?” Sera joked. Leo paid her back by grabbing hold of her and pulling her into his sweaty arms. “No, get off me. I’m all ready to go to London. I don’t want your man stink on me.”
She saw Henri’s nose screw up. “Yes, and on that note, perhaps you could do us all a favor and go take a shower while Sera and I put the bags in the car.”
Leo rolled his eyes. “Honestly, you’re both so prissy. I don’t suppose I can persuade one of you to come and wash my back.”
Sera laughed and turned to Henri.
“We all know it wouldn’t just end at that,” Henri said. “Now come on. Chop chop. We’ve got somewhere to be.”
With that, Leo huffed and left to take his shower. Sera had come to love the house and the life she had with Leo and Henri. She couldn’t help but feel that there was something coming, though. Her instincts never steered her wrong, and something told her that the peace and quiet they had enjoyed this past month would soon be over.
Chapter Twenty-One
By the time they arrived in London it was late afternoon. Henri both loved and hated the city. There was a reason he kept a flat there and a house in the countryside. In small doses, it was a great place to be but for people like Henri and Leo, who had enhanced hearing, it could be a nightmare.
“Oh my God,” Sera said as Henri let them in. “This place is awesome.”
Henri had a lot of nice things. He’d lived a long time and had invested well. His flat had belonged to him for twenty-five years, back when property prices in London weren’t quite so ridiculous.
His flat was more of a studio really. The bathroom was separate but there was a kitchen, living room, and bedroom in one. There was also a nice sized balcony with some patio furniture.
“I’m glad you approve,” Henri said.
There was a coffee table with a large bunch of flowers on it, a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket, and three glasses.
“Are those for me?” Sera asked excitedly as she rushed over to inspect the flowers.
“Who else?” Henri joked. The place had been aired out and cleaned, and the gifts left for them by one of the people under Henri’s employ.
“Well, let’s kick this birthday off, shall we?” Leo said as he went straight for the champagne.
“It’s not actually my birthday for another six hours,” Sera pointed out.
Leo shrugged a shoulder and popped the cork. It made a satisfying hiss as the gas released. Henri sat down on the sofa and took the glass that Leo offered him.
“The flowers are beautiful,” Sera said as she sat beside him. “Thank you.”
She leaned in and kissed him softly, smiling against his mouth.
“You’re very welcome,” he said.
Once they all had a glass in their hands Leo raised his. “Sera, when I first met you I thought you were a pain in the arse, but somehow you grew on me, and now I couldn’t imagine our life without you in it.”
Sera laughed and clinked her glass to Leo’s and then Henri’s.
“Happy birthday, darling,” Henri said before leaning in to kiss her again.
Leo went to put the bottle back in the ice bucket but missed. The bottle slid from his grip and was headed toward the carpet.
Sera didn’t even think about it, she just reacted. She put her hand out to grab it, even though it was hopeless. She watched as it stopped midair.
Leo reacted quickly and plucked it from the air before putting it back in the ice bucket.
The three of them sat in silence for a moment, all of them stunned by what she had just done.
“Well, that’s new,” Henri said.
Sera ignored the slight ache behind her eyes and smiled. “And useful.”
She drank some more of her champagne and chose not to think any more about what she was and what she could do. It was her birthday. Tonight, she was just a girl out on the town with her men.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The big birthday surprise, as it turned out, was a trip to the theatre to watch Cirque du Soleil. Sera hadn’t thought she would be so transfixed by the dancers and the acrobats, but it had been so beautiful, graceful, and colourful that she had left with a big smile on her face.
“That was wonderful,” she gushed as they walked through the busy London streets. It had gone eleven, but the three of them didn’t really stick to a normal day and night cycle so she wasn’t tired.
“I’m glad you liked it,” Henri said as he put his arm around her shoulders.
“Now, we eat,” Leo said. “I’m starving.”
“You’re always starving,” Henri quipped.
Leo took hold of Henri’s other hand and brought it up to his lips. He placed a kiss on Henri’s knuckles and kept hold of the hand as they walked.
There were a lot of people out on the streets on London. Sera had to wonder what they thought when they saw the three of them. Perhaps they assumed that Sera was just a friend of theirs. A part of her wanted to make it more obvious, for people to know that these two amazing men were hers. The other part shied away from attention.
“Where should we eat?” Sera asked. “I assume you know somewhere good.”
“We do,” Leo said. “I’ve already booked a table at my favourite Italian place.”
“Sounds perfect.” She put her arm around Henri’s waist. Tonight had been wonderful. She couldn’t remember ever being so happy.
* * * *
The restaurant was charming. That was the only word Sera could think of to describe it. The place was small and cozy with mismatched tables and chairs, and the lighting was warm and soft.
It was run by an Italian family, who doted on Leo and Henri like they were old friends. The old woman commented on how Henri never seemed to age and asked him what his secret was. Henri had laughed and said, “Good genes I suppose.”
Having devoured her bowl of pasta, Sera was steadily making her way through some tiramisu, though she was pretty sure it was going to beat her.
“Don’t they get suspicious?” she asked Henri as she nodded to the bar where the owners were standing. “I mean, if you come here a lot and never eat anything.”
Henri smiled. “Well, Leo does eat enough for the both of us so we could probably fool them, but I just tell them I have a lot of food allergies.”
“Huh, I guess that would make sense,” she said.
With a disappointed huff over the fact that she was too full to finish her dessert, Sera pushed the plate over to Leo.
“I’m done,” she said. “It’s all yours.”
Even though he’d already finished his own dessert, Sera had seen him eyeing hers hungrily.
Henri shook his head affectionately at his werewolf’s appetite. He himself had nearly finished off an entire bottle of red wine.
“Can you get drunk?” she asked, wondering about it for the first time.
“No,” Henri said. “Though alcohol gives me a nice warm feeling.”
“I can get drunk,” Leo said around a mouthful of tiramisu. “But it takes a lot. Werewolves have higher metabolisms than humans.”
“Which explains why you can eat like you do and still look like that,” Sera said.
They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying each other’s company, before Henri broke it.
“How do you feel things are going with Carolynn?”
Sera had hoped that for one ni
ght she could forget what she was. The thought that her mother had been a nephilim, that she had known what she was and what her baby would be and chose to give her up was a mystery Sera worried would plague her for the rest of her life.
She hadn’t been given up right when she was born, but when she was two years old. For two years her mother had raised her. Something had to have happened for her to give Sera away. She worried that she would never find out why, or worse, that she would find out and not like the answer.
“Fine,” she said, taking a sip of her wine. She was well aware it was the same answer she gave them every time they asked. For the first two lessons with Carolynn, Leo had stayed with her, but once he felt he could trust the witch he had stayed in the car.
She noted the covert look the two of them shared.
“It’s just, you don’t really talk about it much,” Leo pointed out.
Sera shrugged. “There’s nothing really to talk about. It’s been a month since you killed Bale, and Price hasn’t been seen or heard from since. Things are fine.”
Henri took a sip of his wine. “I spoke to Carolynn. She told me that you’re doing well.”
“Like I said.”
“She told me you’ve learnt a lot, that your control is excellent,” Henri said in a gentle voice.
“I think that’s an overstatement,” Sera told him. “I mean, you saw what I did with the bottle earlier. I didn’t mean to do it, it just happened. When I actually try to do something it takes ages and a lot of focus.”
“Still,” Leo said. “The fact you can do it at all is good, right?”
Sera really didn’t want to ruin her birthday by talking about it, but she knew that the two of them wouldn’t just let it go. There was something that had been playing on her mind lately, something she knew she was going to have to bring up.
Welcome to the Underworld (Siren Publishing Menage Amour) Page 13