Logan simply nodded, not sure about whether he believed his story. He didn’t trust the vampire as far as he could throw him. Kade’s damn secretary knew their meeting was important, and she’d lied. It seemed like lying was par for the course when it came to vamps, he thought.
Without warning, two large vampires came up behind Léopold. They flashed their exposed fangs at Wynter, and she wondered if they did it on purpose for intimidation. Or maybe they were getting ready to feed? She backed up as far as her chair would let her.
Unfazed by their presence, Léopold blithely introduced the two vampires. “Pardon my manners. These are two of Kade’s men. Étienne and Xavier.”
Étienne, a young blonde vampire, appeared to be in his mid-twenties, and he gave Wynter a cool smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Not wanting to be impolite, she managed to return the smile. She glanced over to the older, exceptionally well-built vampire, Xavier. It appeared to Wynter that perhaps Logan knew the vampire, as he acknowledged him with a handshake.
“Go feed. I still have business here with the Alpha,” Léopold ordered with a wave of his hand. The vampires were gone from sight within mere seconds. “Now, where was I? Oui, our meeting. So I understand there was a scuffle of sorts. Something about vampires? I admit, it doesn’t sound unusual, but how can I be of service?”
“As much as I’d like to speak with Kade, if he’s left you in charge, then I’m afraid I must bring this matter to your attention,” Logan began, his low tone emanating anger. “Last night, we were in a local shifter bar off Decatur when four vampires attacked Wynter.”
Léopold frowned. He liked the pretty doctor very much and wouldn’t want anything to happen to her, not to mention that he and Jax were old friends.
“I’ll get to the short of it. Wynter was held captive by her employer and told us that this organization’s been using vamps as guards. They did a number on her. Bites, feedings. The usual,” Logan told him with a tick in his jaw. His eyebrows furrowed in anger at the thought of what they’d done to her. “She escaped and on her way out, we fought and ended up staking a few of them. Now, I’m sure you know how this works. Under normal circumstances, we’d hold the offenders and turn them over to Kade. But last night, I had no choice.”
“Oui, I understand,” Léopold replied, skimming his finger over the rim of a glass that was sitting on the table. His voice held an edge of rage, yet his demeanor was controlled. “This is not acceptable…at all.”
“So that brings me to you. First of all, it’s likely this operation is still here in the city. But my immediate concern is Wynter’s safety. She was doing work for them, and they’ll probably be back for her. It’d be nice if we knew whether the vampires belong to Kade.”
“I can assure you that all in Kade’s line are well accounted for. So either these vampires were from outside the city,” Léopold paused as if in deep thought, “Or someone in Kade’s line is making children without reporting it, which as you know would be a great offense. One that generally ends in death. Now that you’ve brought this to my attention, I’ll certainly look into it.”
“You should also be aware that Jax is coming to New Orleans. He was delayed due to the snow, but he’ll be here soon. At that time, I expect we’ll have more information,” Logan hedged. He didn’t wish to reveal that Wynter hadn’t told him everything. And frankly, even if she had, he wasn’t sure that he’d share it with Devereoux. Yes, he was grateful for his assistance but at the end of the day, he didn’t trust him.
“I see. We’re finished, no?” Léopold’s dark mood seemed to transform back into a playful tone.
“We’re finished,” Logan confirmed, noticing that Wynter still appeared unresponsive. He wanted to take her home as soon as possible and force her to tell him exactly what she’d been doing in New Orleans. And he wanted every last detail, no more half-truths.
“A dance then, pet? Come, it’s been too long,” Léopold asked innocently, raising an eyebrow at Wynter. Sensing her hesitation, he glanced over to Logan, requesting permission. “Would you allow it, Alpha?”
Logan’s gut churned at the thought of any other man putting his hands on Wynter. But was he going to refuse the bastard whose help he needed? He considered it. After all, Wynter knew Devereoux and didn’t seem at all afraid of him. If anything, she was overly friendly with the guy; she hadn’t outright said no to the dance. With an air of nonchalance, he glanced at Wynter who looked like a deer in the headlights. He wondered, was she attracted to Léopold? How well did they know each other? A flare of jealousy flamed, but he quickly reined in his feelings.
Fuck, she was driving him crazy. He’d specifically told her earlier that they didn’t belong to each other and then when pressed by Léopold, he’d done a one eighty and publicly announced that she was his. Even though he’d said she belonged to him to protect her, his heart was starting to wish she really was. And his cock, well, his cock had already claimed her.
Putting his ego aside, Logan decided he’d allow one dance. One dance. That’s all he could handle. And Léopold had better keep his damn hands to himself.
“Wynter, a dance?” Logan asked, stifling the jealousy that tightened in his chest.
Wynter gave Logan a surprised look. Dance with Léopold? A vampire? Her gut told her no, but her mind told her she was being silly. No matter what she’d just seen him do in the club, it had just been sex. He hadn’t at all showed a proclivity for violence. Moreover, he was an acquaintance of Jax’s.
“You’ll be safe. Remember, you belong to me,” he stated with confidence, his eyes pinned on Devereoux’s.
“I…um…of course…yes,” she accepted, not wanting to insult Léopold. Even though she was nervous, he’d been enormously supportive of her department at the university. But as she rose to take Léopold’s hand, she wished it was Logan who’d asked her to dance.
Chapter Ten
As soon as she hit the dance floor, Wynter instantly regretted leaving Logan’s side. The smell of blood, sweat and sex permeated the room. A sea of undulating bodies, in various states of dress, danced all around her. The separation felt unnatural and panic set in; she should never have accepted this dance.
Wynter gasped as Léopold pulled her tightly against him. She frantically swiveled her neck, in search of Logan. Léopold spun their bodies in a circle, and she caught a glimpse of Logan staring at her. She visibly relaxed at the sight of him. Léopold abruptly slowed his movement. With his lips inches from her ear, he spoke softly to her, all too intimate for Wynter’s comfort.
“Quite a mess you’ve gotten yourself into, I see. Now tell me, my sweet doctor. Why did you lie to the Alpha? Ma chère, tis not wise,” he advised.
“I haven’t lied. You must understand, Monsieur, I’ve got to follow protocol. Jax is my Alpha,” she explained breathlessly, surprised at herself for revealing that much to Léopold.
“Ah, but you have lied. You may have made your home with Jax at one time, but I can assure you that you now belong to Logan,” he lectured, although satisfied with her candor. Léopold pressed his nose to her neck and sniffed. Wynter flinched. He laughed and spun her once again. “And your scent…it didn’t seem possible, even to one as old as me, but you are indeed wolf. I must admit that I’m not sure whether to congratulate you or apologize for this unusual development.”
“The Alpha, he’s very much a bachelor. It may just be a passing fancy. It doesn’t matter, though. I can’t belong to him….he’s just protecting me. As for being wolf, they did something to me. I’m not convinced that it’s permanent. I haven’t shifted,” Wynter found herself confessing to the vampire despite the way he intruded on her sense of privacy.