He knocked and entered. But one look at Yesenia's scowl told him something was wrong.
* * *
Yesenia had been clearedby the doctor to use magic only two days ago, but she'd been busy.
Her experience sending items into the near future to help Leo had greatly improved her magical strength and stamina, to the point Rebecca had suggested sending a note to her siblings. Moving people was many weeks away—at a minimum, and that would only be with fated ones at first—but a warning would have to be good enough for River and Meadow for the time being. After all, given how she could sweep them away minutes or hours after receiving her note, Yesenia had plenty of time to help her brother and sister before Derek or his mob lackeys would be able to touch them.
And so she'd sent the note yesterday. Rebecca had warned her to wait until today to try and retrieve any reply, giving her yet another stern warning about burning out and what it entailed.
But for the past two hours she'd tried to search and retrieve a reply from the designated drop spot, skipping forward bit by bit just in case her siblings had needed time to write back, but it'd all been to no avail.
She had absolutely no fucking idea if her siblings had even received her warning either. For the most part she didn't mind the lower level of technology in 1890, but email or even telephones that could reach out to the future would be pretty damn handy.
Maybe when she had a moment to breathe, she could talk to Dark Lord Khan and see if he'd be game to try inventing such a thing. With the amount of magical abilities he had at his fingertips, it might just be possible.
Giving up her latest attempt to find word from her siblings, Yesenia finally slumped back against the sofa just as Leo strode into the room. Without a word, he came over, sat beside her, and hugged her to his side. Not even his strong, solid presence could fully wipe away her frustrations, but it helped a little. She snuggled more into his warmth as she said, "Hey, you. You're still alive, I see. I sometimes wonder if one day you won't walk out of a meeting with the other Dark Lords in one piece."
He rubbed her arm gently with his hand and laid his cheek against the top of her head, uncaring that Rebecca was sitting across from them. He murmured, "They can be frustrating, but the French vampires are my main concern. I can pummel the others later."
She knew he was joking about the last part, and lightly smacked his chest. "I won't get into that argument again." Yesenia pulled back so she could look into Leo's brown eyes. "Anything I should know?"
Leo looked pointedly at Rebecca and the older female stood with a huff. "Fine, I'll go. I'll be back tomorrow, Yesenia. Don't even think of trying again without me nearby."
"And risk another scolding? I think not. My ears are still recovering from the last one."
Rebecca chuckled and waved goodbye.
Once they were alone again, Yesenia looked back up at Leo. "Well? Did Khan budge or is he still being a stubborn ass?"
The corner of his mouth twitched, and she could tell he'd barely stopped himself from laughing. "How you were able to call him a stubborn arse to his face and survive, I'll never know."
She sniffed. "I'm too valuable to harm, and he knows it. Especially since I already promised him some of my time and magic earlier, back when I needed more favors from him. Which is precisely why I don't want to give him evenmorefrom my possible future business."
He gently took her chin in his fingers and kept her gaze trained on him. "Giving him a percentage of your profits is how it's done here, Yesenia. Tithing to the Dark Lord gives them means to protect their people."
Her expression softened. "But I'd rather give it to you. This will be my home, after all."
Leo kissed her gently. "I know, love. However, and I can't believe I'm saying this, you'll need Khan's help in the future, many times over, I'm sure of it, and you need to stay in his good graces. Besides, if you keep all of your earnings and give it to a vampire over the fae witch Dark Lord, it might undo what small advances we've made with regards to the past between our two kinds." He ran a finger across her lips and Yesenia resisted a shiver. "His offer is the best you're going to get, love. And I'm rather impatient to make you mine in front of everyone and the law."
She searched his gaze and finally sighed. "I don't even have to make you do a vampire vow thing either. I see the truth in your eyes." She threaded her fingers through one of his hands and held their combined clasp over her heart. "I need a distraction from my failed attempts today, so let's go over the contracts and get them all finalized. Just don't expect me to plan a big-ass wedding. Even if you're a Dark Lord and I'm sure it's expected, I have magic to practice, siblings to save, and a certain vampire's dick to suck."
His pupils dilated a fraction. "You'd better tell me the second your courses end because I need to feel you around my cock again, claim you, and feel you come as I bite your neck."
Yesenia's period had come four days before, and she'd had mixed feelings about it, although she was mostly relieved. She did want children with Leo. Eventually. But not until she could get her life settled a bit more. Especially since any children from the two of them would probably end up stubborn little hellions, given who their parents were.
She lifted her head and kissed Leo slowly, gently biting his bottom lip before sliding her tongue into his mouth. Not one to be passive, he gripped her hair and tilted her head further, giving him better access to her mouth. He sipped, and licked, and nibbled, until her breasts and pussy ached, the room entirely too warm.
She broke the kiss and rested her forehead against his. "I should be free to ride you tomorrow." For all she loved her vampire, she hadn't quite reached the place where she wanted to fuck him while she felt fat and clumsy, with an overly sensitive cunt. However, she'd reached a compromise with that. And after tracing his jaw, she added, "And we're going to work on the ass training some more because next month, I want to give my mouth a little bit of rest."
He smiled slowly. "Have I mentioned how much I like having a modern bride with a deliciously wanton nature?"
She rolled her eyes. "Do we need to have a talk again about how females have desires just like males, and it's normal to make demands in my time?"
He growled. "I don't want to think of other males and what they did to you." He tightened his grip on her hair and forced her head back, exposing her neck. When he licked her pulse, she moaned. Leo murmured, "Your pussy isn't the only thing I've waited for. The doctor said I could taste your sweet blood again today, right?"
"Yes," she said with wanting, her skin aching to feel his fangs sink into her again.
But Leo merely licked her pulse, nibbled, and suckled her skin until she groaned and tried to move her neck so he'd at least scratch her.