He read their thoughts, knew their plan, knew which of the two was the leader, the more vicious, the one who would attack first. He continued to walk, neither fast nor slow, looking straight ahead, simply waiting for them to make their move. He was halfway down the street, just coming up on a small alleyway between the apartment houses, when the leader rushed him. The man was large and strong, wrapping an arm around Lucian’s head, driving him into the alley. Lucian cooperated, going in the direction the leader took him until both attackers were out of sight of any eyes that might be watching from the windows.
He whirled around, knocking the knife from the leader’s hand, catching the man in his enormously strong hands, stopping both assailants with a soft command. The two thugs stood waiting for his attention. He drank deeply from each of them, uncaring that both would be weak and dizzy. It always took tremendous self-control to leave men such as these alive. At times, when he read their depraved minds, he found it nearly impossible. But he told himself he was a guardian of the Carpathian people; the human race had its own set of laws.
Lucian didn’t bother planting a plausible memory for either of the two attackers. They would remember attempting to mug him, and then they would have a black void of time and experience that no amount of trying would help them fill. He left them there in the alley, lying on the ground moaning, unsure what had happened to them.
When Lucian returned, the house was cool and dark. These days Lucian loved to return home. To Jaxon. Nearly everything in the house was something he had picked out of her memories, things she loved, colors she found soothing. Art pieces she had seen and admired. Even the stained glass, incredible works of art his brother’s wife had created, had been made especially for Jaxon. Woven into each piece was a strong safeguard for the house and a soothing invitation of welcome and warmth for those who dwelled within. Francesca was a true healer, and, even in her art, her gift came through.
In the sleeping chamber he shed his clothes and gathered Jaxon into his arms before issuing the command to awaken. The conversion was complete, and she had rested for nearly two hours. He wanted any confrontation over before the next rising. Jaxon stirred, moaned softly as if in memory, and then he felt her heart slam hard. She was fully awake, refusing to open her eyes and face the truth of what had happened. He felt his own heart skip a beat; his breath caught in his lungs. This was the moment. She would have to confront what she had become. He would have to confront her rejection of him.
Lucian held her in his arms, watching the expressions chasing across her face. Jaxon’s impossibly long lashes fluttered, then lifted, and he was looking into her large dark eyes. He saw no condemnation what so ever. She simply looked up at him. Very slowly she raised a hand and rubbed at the frown he didn’t realize was on his face.
“What have you done this time?” she asked.
His hands moved over her face, brushing her hair from her delicate cheekbones. “I think you already know.”
“If it’s what I think it is, I may have to resort to violence.”
She was doing it again, not dealing with something her mind wasn’t ready for. Instead the pad of her index finger was rubbing a little caress over his mouth. “Don’t look so worried, Lucian. I’m not made of porcelain. I’m not going to break. You look as if the world has come to an end. Although, I have to tell you, it did hurt like hell, and when I’m feeling a little stronger, I might have to retaliate.”
“I love you, angel, and I would not have put you through the suffering of a conversion had it not been necessary.”
Jaxon was shaking her head. “Don’t say conversion. I don’t think we should go there right now. Conversion. Sounds like a a movie I once saw. It had vampires and icky things in it. This really disgusting creature bit the heroine and then gave her his blood.” Her voice faltered for a moment, and he felt her tremble, but she went resolutely on. “It transformed her into a vampish sex maniac. She ran around sucking men’s necks and killing little children. Not really my thing. At least not the killing of little children. I don’t know about sucking men’s necks.” A fine tremor ran through her body.