Meeting Destiny; Lachlan’s Story (Annalese and the Immortals) (2 page)

“So you really just want to go out with me?” Lese asked like she couldn’t believe he just wanted to be with her.

“Yeah, I do. I have a verra close friend coming from Romania, of all places, with his mate, and no, they don’t want your blood either. You know mated Vamps only feed from each other, right?”

“No, wow. I know about your existence from my aunt, but not really anything else.”

“Well, should I try to ask again? I didn’t do verra well the first time,” he chuckled, and Lese smiled.

“OK, Lachlan. I was supposed to go to that new club on Prospect tomorrow—”

He cut her off.

“Oh no, lassie. It’s a blood bar.”

“A blood what?”

“A blood bar, where feeding is a consensual sexual act. I’m not sure that’s a good place for you.”

“Oh hell, no,” Lese spoke loudly. The cook gave her an odd look, and she waved him off. “No, I mean that I had no clue. My friend Gary wanted to go there, and it had been so long since I’d been, um, out.”

“Gary? Boyfriend?” Lese laughed out loud at the thought. “Gary is very gay. So no, we’re just very close friends.”

Lachlan sighed in relief. “Good. So can I call on you tomorrow night?”

She smiled, and he just waited.

“Would we be going out somewhere? I’d need to dress properly.”

He exhaled the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “I was thinking maybe Montes on the lake. It’s a nice view and the food is good. And lass, if ye didn’t notice, I do like to eat.”

She smiled. Wow, he loved her smile.

“Yes, Lachlan, you can call on me. Give me your phone.”

He handed her his cell out of his coat pocket and watched her punch the screen. Then she handed it back to him and grinned. “Okay, now everything you need is in your phone.”

“Everything?” he asked with a sly grin.

“Well, not
everything
! What time should I expect you?”

“I’ll send for you about seven. Is that OK, lass?”

“Yeah, yeah, that works.”

And with that, he leaned forward and gave her the softest kiss, just on the cheek, but oh my, the shooting flames were back.

T
he private jet touched down on the west side of Cleveland on a private air strip. Vlad and Sophie had just flown four thousand miles to help a friend in need.

Sophie had told Lachlan they’d come. Not that Vlad would have said different. He and Lachlan were brothers in every aspect aside from DNA. And he was the only male vamp or mortal who he would trust with Sophie. Sophie had been kidnapped before they were mated, and Lachlan had been the one to find her and her captors, a band of rogue Vampires. Lachlan had protected Sophie while Vlad doled out the punishment: death, slow and very painful. Vlad was an expert at torture. He enjoyed it. They didn’t call his uncle the “Impaler” for nothing.

“Ah c’mon, McCain, where the fuck are you?” Vlad had no patience.

“Don’t make me use your favorite name again. He’ll be here, and we are early. See, the sun hasn’t even broken the horizon yet.”

Just about that time, a black Land Rover with tinted windows pulled up, the passenger window down.

“Hey, you need a ride Tepes?” Lachlan asked, putting the SUV in park.

“Yeah asshole, wasn’t walking,” Vlad chuckled. Vlad was never one to laugh, chuckle, giggle or even smile. But after Sophie came into his life, he did all those things. Lachlan suspected only around him though. Vlad IV, nephew of the Impaler, had a rep to keep up. He was every bit as lethal as the reputation had led everyone to believe.

“Lachlan!” Sophie raced around Vlad and flung herself in Lachlan’s arms. “I missed you! Why don’t you visit?”

“Ah Soph, I missed you too. Him,” he said, nodding toward Vlad, “not nearly as much.”

Vlad gave him the single finger salute and said, “Yeah, yeah, can we get out of the cold? I’m a vampire not a popsicle.”

All three of them laughed and piled into the Rover.

For the first time in his life, Lachlan felt like everything was right. He’d met the girl of his dreams, and his brother was here. Things were good.

“So Lach, what’s that grin from?” Sophie asked him ever so sweetly.

“Well, Soph, I have a date.”

Sophie and Vlad stared at one another smiling.

“Would this date be with someone we discussed last night? And how did it happen?” Sophie curiously asked him.

“Ah fuck, you asshole, did I leave my castle for nothing?” Vlad spoke, trying to sound annoyed but failing miserably.

“No Tepes, I’m sure to fuck this up. You know me verra well, and Sophie—it’s her. She’s…amazing.

“How?”

Lachlan explained the pie and the rest of the story as they drove to the Edgewater. As they hit the penthouse suite, Vlad asked, “So gypsy blood, huh? Makes me wonder if she’s gifted. And how much does she know of our world?”

“Actually, not much, but I want to tell her, if she wants to know. Gods be damned, I hope she wants to know. It’s killing me to not go to her and make her understand what she is to me.”

Sophie laid her hand on Lachlan’s arm in comfort. “Lach, be patient. She knows what you are and she didn’t run. That’s a good sign. Remember your demons. You’ll have to tell her everything—and Lach, I do mean everything. And then you’re gonna have to find a way to let it go. You’ve been given a gift. Destiny never gets it wrong, but to be the man she’s gonna need, you have to do it. This world we live in can be brutal, but with her, you need to be soft. Find your way, Lachlan.”

He nodded. “Okay, I’m gonna try to rest. Take your regular spot, Tepes.” And with that, they all parted company to sleep the sunlight away.

A
nnalese sent Gary a text begging off the night out—explaining that she had a date and that she’d heard some strange things about the Club.

He told her to have fun and that he’d consider not going alone, and that he would see her later.

She had a few hours before her date. Long enough to panic.
Shit, shit, shit, this was really happening.
She’d picked out a very simple black dress. That was the easy part. The hair would be another story. Up, down, straight, natural with her unruly curls, ugh. Eventually she decided to go with half up and let the curls fall where they may. Grabbing her coat and purse, she paced by the sofa.

At precisely 7p.m., the bell rang. She opened the door, expecting Lachlan. Instead she was greeted by a blonde man—very tall with golden eyes. “Miss Annalese?”

“Yes, I’m Lese.”

“Ah good, I’m Vincent. I am here to escort you to meet Master Lachlan at Montes.”

She was a bit stunned. Vincent was really here to drive her to meet Lachlan. She started to turn to get her coat and she was knocked over. Something blurred past her before she could process what was happening. It was over and Lachlan was cradling her in his arms.

“Aye lass, are ye OK? Ye took a pretty hard hit there. I’da been more gentle, but I didna think there was time.”

“Time huh? Time for what exactly? And where is Vincent, the driver you sent?” Lese was more than a little confused.

“Aye, ye were just too much for him and he lost his head.” Literally.

“Lachlan, explain this now!” Shit.

“Can we go? I will do me verra best to explain on the way. Tepes is a cranky bastard and I’d like to prevent murder. OK, lass?”

“Who is Tepes? And what the hell about murder! Lachlan?”

“Annalese, this is a Macallans Explanation. I promise to explain everything to you, but I’ll need some scotch; and after I explain it all, I think you’ll need some scotch verra much.”

Lese agreed. They’d enjoy dinner with whatever a Tepes was, and Lachlan promised an explanation and a bottle of scotch. So she’d go with it.

They arrived at the restaurant at the same time their dinner companions did. Lese, now fully understood what a Tepes was. Vladislaw Basarab Tepes IV, nephew of the great Impaler. He was frightening and his mate Sophie was such a joy. Lese thought they could become friends. Her aura was golden and pure. After dinner the girls excused themselves to the ladies room, leaving the men alone.

“McCain, spit it out. What’s going on? This doesn’t have anything to do with mating.”

“No T., I got to Lese’s apartment and found Vincent there.”

“Fuck—”

“Yeah, my thought exactly.”

“Please tell me he’s ash,” Vlad said, almost seething.

“Oh hell, yes. I can’t understand how he knew. Had to be following me, but I haven’t scented anything out of the ordinary. Well, now I know Percy still holds a grudge.”

“McCain, it was 200 years ago, and we were defending ourselves. You can’t let her go home. When Vincent doesn’t come back, he’s just going to send more. You need to come clean with her, and I’ll do the same with Sophie.”

“I thought Soph knew all your secrets oh-Master-of-Darkness.” Lachlan said laughing.

“Up yours smart ass. I tried at one time, but she said it didn’t matter. She didn’t need to know. Well, now she does.”

Yup—she did—and so did Annalese.

They finished dinner and dessert, and parted ways.

Lachlan made a pit stop at his penthouse for two glasses and the bottle of scotch. And he grabbed a blanket just in case.

They leaned against Lachlan’s Rover overlooking Lake Erie, in silence, neither one wanting to be the first to start the conversation.

Lachlan broke. “I’m verra sorry for everything. You’ve wound up in the middle of a mess because of me; and las, it would kill me if anything happened to you. I donna know how to fix this, and I didna mean to screw up your life. It’s just, when I saw ye the other night trying to unlock your car, it was like an angel had fallen from the heavens and I—”

Lese stopped him. She had her hand over his mouth.

“Lachlan, stop, just stop. I’m a pretty smart girl, so I think I know what happened at my apartment. For whatever reason, he wanted you. Am I getting this about right?”

Lachlan nodded and downed his third scotch, and poured a fourth.

“Hey Vampire, you may want to slow down on those. Anyway, why, when we barely know each other, would he come after me? And what did you do to piss someone off so bad, huh?”

Oh fuck
, Lachlan thought.
Well, here goes nothing.
“OK lass, I’ll tell ye everything, but ye may wanna go somewhere warmer. It’s gonna take time.”

“Nope, I’m good. Spit it out, Lachlan.”

And he did. From the murder of his human family to the revenge he and Vlad had taken on all of the rogues. He left out no details. And even the night he saw her, and what he felt in his heart she was to him. Lese listened attentively to every word Lachlan spoke. She read pain, heartbreak, joy, sorrow, and a host of other emotions as he recanted the tale. And then, he went silent. He just stared ahead, holding the crystal bottle of scotch.

“So ye see, lass, I’m quite the bastard. But you, you make me wanna be… different. With you I just feel.”

“Lachlan, look at me.” He did and he could see tears in those emerald eyes.

“Aye, lass, no.” God, she was in pain, and he’d caused it.

“No, Lachlan, you don’t understand. I can feel your emotions. I’m an empath. The tears are because I feel the pain in you.”

“Holy shite, an empath. I had wondered if you were gifted. Now we know. I canna hide anything from you.”

“Yeah, Vampire, you’re screwed.” Lese let herself laugh. “Seriously though, it was a long time ago and it was part of the nature of a newbie. Right? Let it go, Lachlan. I forgive you.”

Whoa! She forgave him. Oh, goddess. She really was an angel. And in that moment he kissed her. What started as a chaste kiss quickly turned into a passionate tango of tongues. He’d pulled her so close, if she’d been in pants, she probably would be straddling his lap. Neither had any idea how long they’d been kissing, but when they broke for air both sets of lips were swollen and each was gasping for much needed oxygen.

Lachlan looked in Lese’s eyes with so much longing, she couldn’t form words. So he did.

“Annalese, you really are supposed to be mine. A verra smart lady recently told me destiny doesn’t make mistakes, but it’s up to me to make it right. And I verra much want to make it right, do right by you. I won’t push ye, but please try to love me. Please.”

He choked out the last “please” like he would begin sobbing at any moment.

“That very smart lady sounds an awful lot like Sophie.”

“Aye. Sophie is a good friend.”

“You know, I think I’d really like to continue this, but what now? I mean I can’t go home, right? So what are we going to do about your very pissed off vampire?”

“Aye, yes. Percy. I think I have a plan. Do ye have a passport?”

“Lachlan?”

“Call your boss and tell him family emergency. And we’ll go to your apartment, you can pack some things. Ever been to Romania?”

T
he next morning, they were all in Vlad’s jet heading to Romania.

The girls talked, and the two vampires plotted. It was more like Sophie talked and Lese attentively listened. Sophie gave her the rundown on vampires—fact and fiction. Lese was surprised at just how much was fiction. Even the whole stake thing was a myth. The only two ways, she found out, to truly kill a vampire was beheading and blood loss starvation. If a Vamp was bleeding heavily, the body would start to starve—loss of nutrients. They’d eventually succumb, but it took time and was excruciatingly painful.

Sophie and Lese slept the rest of the flight. The men continued to plot.

“T, we gotta get this fucker this time. He crossed the line. She’s my mate, for Christ’s sake.”

“Yeah, I got the memo,” T. said in classic Vlad style. “Security at the castle is Code Red. Teams are set up. You sure he’ll follow us?”

“Aye, I left a note. He’ll follow.” He’d taken red paint from Lese’s studio room and painted a message for Percy on her living room wall.

Oh how the mighty have fallen. Let’s take this home, shall we? See you soon, dead man.

He was fairly certain Percy would get the picture.

V
lad wasn’t kidding when he said castle. Lese was in awe of the home of her new-found friend.

They parted in the great hall, and Lachlan led Annalese to the suite that was his whenever he visited his friend. Cream-colored walls with dark walnut furniture, including a very impressive king-sized bed. Lachlan lit the fire and looked at his angel, who was studying her surroundings.

“Lese, I know I said I wouldna push and I won’t. But I canna let ye out of my sight, so you sleep under and I stay on top of the blankets. I have to know yer safe lass.”

“It’s fine, Lachlan. I didn’t expect you to leave. But after what, like fourteen hours, I need a bath. And don’t you need blood or something?”

“Is that an offer, lass?” he chuckled, and left the room. He thought about seeking out Vlad, but thought better of it. He and Sophie had gone to their chambers and he knew exactly what Vlad had in mind. Same thing Lachlan had, but he knew this wasn’t the time. The erection he’d been sporting didn’t agree though. He’d stick the damn thing in the snow if need be to keep his promise not to push her

Vlad had a very impressive kitchen, and he always kept top-notch scotch for Lach when he was there. And Lachlan knew he’d better have his fill before returning to his angel. She was too much temptation. And if he took her, it would be blood, body, and soul.