ChapterTwenty-Nine
Alittle over a week after Yesenia had finally woken up again, Leo stood in his study with Khan and Black, and didn't beat around the bush. "I know we need to talk about what our people have discovered over the last week or so, and what to do about the French vamps. However" He paused, fixing his gaze on Khan. "we have unfinished business."
Khan, at his usual distance across the room from him and Black, raised a dark eyebrow. "Yesenia has no choice but to pledge loyalty to me, as all fae witches in England and Wales must do."
He growled. "I fucking know that. But you still haven't given your permission for me to marry her and keep her with me. It's worrying my bride, and I'm this close to risking your nightmares and punching your jaw for her distress. She has enough on her plate, as it is."
Black remained uncharacteristically quiet, but Leo barely noticed, focused on Khan's reply. "I won't give my permission until she settles the contracts with both me and you. Convince her I won't take less than 10 percent from her future business earnings, and it can be a quick wedding after that."
He tugged his waistcoat down. "You know in her time, there are no lord tithes. She's used to fighting for everything she has, and only giving to the area where she lives."
Khan looked pointedly around the richly decorated study and drawled, "She's not going to be a pauper."
Black finally snorted and chimed in. "No, but she's clever, Khan. Time-wielders, especially skilled ones, can earn massive fortunes. And from what I've heard, she wants to expand Miss Nora Yates's safe haven homes with the majority of her earnings."
Leo's gaze swung to the wolf's. "How the bloody hell do you know anything about that?"
The wolf grinned. "One of your maids fulfilled a fantasy for me at your brother's pleasure house. She was quite chatty after coming around my cock." He waggled his eyebrows. "Most people are. Maybe you need to shag your bride into exhaustion and get her to sign the contracts then. Or maybe keep her on the edge for an hour or two until she'll agree to anything."
Leo narrowed his eyes. "I'm not like you, wolf. I'm not going to manipulate my bride with pleasure."
Black opened his mouth, but Khan's quiet, steely tone cut him off. "I don't care how it's done, but I need the signed contracts before you have my blessing."
And since relations between the vampires and fae witches were still strained, Khan could use Leo's marriage to Yesenia without his permission as a reason to sever their alliance.
The greedy bastard had backed him into a corner.
He growled. "I'll talk to her. But once she's legally my female, try using her as leverage for the alliance again and it won't end well."
Khan shrugged. "Once I have the signed contract and the details settled for her future business, I won't bring it up again."
Black rolled his shoulders. "I hope not. My sister arrives soon and I don't want her endangered by a bloody, unnecessary war."
Leo cleared his throat. "Then let's focus on what we've learned so far about the French vampires by working together. It's better than each of us trying to prove who has the bigger cock, figuratively speaking."
Black laughed, but Khan rolled his eyes. The fae witch was the first to speak again. "I have one powerful seer left in contact with me. But he hasn't been able to find out anything about the ones who attacked you specifically, at least in the last week or so. It's almost as if they have a powerful fae witch shielding them with a magical protective barrier."
Leo grunted. "I'd heard how the British fae witches had done something similar during the Napoleonic Wars. Is there no way around it?"
Khan raised an eyebrow again. "If there is, I won't tell you."
Bloody fae witches and their stupid code.
Black spoke up. "Then let's focus on what else we know and can share. My spies have been watching and trying to determine the best person to capture and question. They have it down to one or two of the midranking males. Once they have a potential opening for kidnapping him, I'll let you know."
Leo nodded. "And Ambrose's tip, about how many of the vampires inside the rival gaming hell are on the verge of madness due to not finding their fated ones for so long, has me and Yesenia thinking. Once her magic is strong enough, she might be able to find a few of their fated ones and decrease the number of their dedicated forces. All she needs are as many detailed sketches as possible of the French males since photography at night won't work, even if someone can get close enough."
The other two Dark Lords bobbed their heads in understanding, but it was Khan who spoke up. "My people have started collecting pencil portraits, and they're still trying to trace the magic infused into the knife you retrieved. Although progress is slow, and it will be some weeks or even months before they have any answers."
Black said, "Then next week I think we should start bringing any sketches and high-level spies we trust to our meetings. It might speed up the process a bit."
As they discussed what they'd do for the week, and who they'd bring the next time, they soon finished and Black and Khan departed.
Once he was sure they were gone, he quickly exited his study and headed toward Yesenia's converted one. She had sent a note the day before to her siblings in the future, and she was supposed to try and retrieve any response this afternoon.
He'd wanted to be there, but she'd said his meeting with the other Dark Lords was more important. He didn't think so but had begrudgingly agreed after she'd sucked his cock to the point his eyes had nearly rolled back into his head, right before dawn.
His wanton fae witch was strategic, that was for certain. And he appreciated the challenge.