"Blood Bound"

2011 Copyright All Rights Reserved

Chapter 15

    Tatiana bounded into the dining room, a tight bundle of nerves and tension.  She was looking for one person in particular, Ric.  It was there that she found him, standing demurely by the window staring out into the night.

    "Have you heard anything?" She asked anxiously.  She wrung her hands in front of her and waited for his response.  It had been almost twenty four hours since they had last heard from the shifters they had hired and with no word, she was beyond getting antsy.

    "No", he said quietly, shaking his head.  "At least not from them directly," he added and turned around so that he was facing her.  He was momentarily struck still by Tatiana's ethereal beauty.  After a long pause,  he blinked and forced himself to continue, "I- I did make a phone call to their Alpha and he pointed out that it wasn't unusual for the two of them to lay low after a job.  So," he said with some resignation, I guess all we can do now is continue to wait."

    She frowned at him.  "I hate waiting," she grumbled.  That half pint is nothing but a fledgling Ric; she should be easy pickings for two shifters.  Why haven't we heard anything yet?"  The worry was clearly written all over her face.

    "Their coyotes babe," he stated as if that should have explained everything.  "Who know's how their tiny little brains work.  I'm sure we'll be getting word anytime now that our little problem has been taken of."

    Tatiana rolled her eyes.  "You sound so certain about this."

    Ric gifted her with an easy smile, "That's because I am."

     She didn't feel quite as confident as he.  If anything she was certain of it was Leo's persistence and it seemed like when it came to his new pet, he had that in spades.  If Leo knew what they were planning it would wasted no time in tearing out their hearts with his own bare hands.  Crossing her arms over her chest, she shuddered at the image.  "What if he finds out Ric?  What if he finds out that we are the ones that ordered her death?  What then?"

     Ric crossed the room in half a second and pulled Tatiana in his arms.  She looked up at him, uncertainty glimmering in her eyes.  "He won't find out Tatiana," Ric assured her, his dark eyes flashing with conviction.  "I have covered up all connections to us with those shifters.  I promise you that he will never know."

     "But-" she started and was soundly shut up when his lips descended on hers.  At first the kiss was soft and tentative but it quickly heated up into a fiery passion.  She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled her body more in line with his.  His hands covered her back and she was utterly lost in the sensations that he was igniting in her system.  

     "Now, isn't this interesting," Leo remarked coolly.

     Tatiana heard the accusation in his tone and guiltily jumped away from Ric.  Her lips were still pulsating from his kisses when she turned to face Leo.  It was at that very moment the she truly despised the man.  Looking into his pitch black eyes, she hated him with a such a vehemence she could almost taste it in her mouth.

     He had everything that she wanted; social class, wealth and power.  Without him she had nothing and that was more than enough to set her ire to light.  For now though she would suck it up and play her role.  She had to stick to the plan, their plan.  The plan that would get her that wealth and power that she so greedily hungered for.

      "It's not what you think," Tatiana sputtered, her eyes flying wildly between both Leo and Ric's.

     Leo arched an angled brow. "Really now," he drawled and tilted his head to the side.  "Let  me guess, my servant here," he said gesturing towards Ric,  "Was just giving you mouth to mouth for no apparent reason."

     Tatiana sucked on her bottom lip and innocently batted her lashes.  "No, it wasn't like that," she said petulantly.  "He was...he was..."

    "Out with it woman," Leo bellowed, impatiently throwing his hands on his hips.  

    She glanced in Ric's direction and was peeved to see that the coward and shrunk back into the shadows of the room.  Figures.

    "Answer me," Leo demanded once again, taking a smidge of satisfaction when she startled.

     "Fine," Tatiana snapped, "If you must know, Ric was just giving me some lessons."  She folded her hands over her chest and faced off with Leo.

     Leo furrowed his brows, "Lessons?  What in the hell kind of lessons would you call that?"

     Tatiana let out an exasperated breath, "Wasn't that that obvious," she asked.  Leo stood in place, staring back at her looking befuddled.  "Come on," she cried, "Do I have to spell it out for you?"  

     Leo continued his blank stare not having the faintest idea of where this conversation was headed.  

     "Men," she grumbled and slowly started to saunter up closer to Leo.  She stopped in front of him and placed her hand on his arm.  "He was teaching me the ways to please a man Leo."  She trailed the tip of of her fingernail down his bare arm, digging it just deep enough in his skin to raise an angry red line.  "More precisely", she added, "Ways to please you."

     Leo grabbed her hand and promptly threw it away from him, hating the way her touch felt.  "I do not need you to please me," he growled.

     Tatiana, offended, narrowed her eyes on Leo.  "You might as well face it now Leo, I will be your bride.  That little pet of yours will never survive in our world and I'm your best match.  "Besides," she said, sidling up against his side once again, "I want to please you."

     Leo sucked in a slow deep breath in an effort to calm himself.  His stance was as rigid as a two by four.  "Tatiana, I am only going to warn you once.  Back..  the hell ..off!"

     Determined to press her point, she laid her hand against his chest and started to trace a slow path downward, over his taut ab muscles until she stopped at his engorged member, cupping it expertly in her hand.  "You really don't mean that," she purred at his ear.

     The door to the dining room slammed open, reverberating off the wall.  "Yes he does," Shelby sneered.  "Remove your hand or I'll remove it for you.  Take your pick, I really don't give a damn which you choose." 

     Shelby wasn't sure what had come over her but when she heard Tatiana's words and opened the door to see her touching him so intimately, she lost all reason.  Her vision was tinted red and she was thirsting for blood.  More specifically, the bitch's blood that dared to touch what she considered hers.

     "Oh shiiiit," Ric mumbled from his corner.  When the door swung open, the first thing that he saw was the red irises glowing.  She would never be a match for his Tatiana but Leo, on the other hand was a whole different matter entirely.

    Tatiana didn't even blink.  She took in all five foot three inches of Shelby, dressed in blood drenched clothes and snorted her disbelief.  She dropped her hand to her side but stayed her position, glaring at Shelby.  "Leo, put a muzzle on your pet or I will."

     Leo's last thread of control snapped.  Without a second thought he backhanded Tatiana with such force that she went flying across the room, crashing into an antique end table that had been delicately placed against the wall.  

     He was breathing heavily, struggling to maintain his composure.  "You are no longer welcome in my home Tatiana.  I'll give you just one hour after sundown and I want you gone, out of here for good.  I don't ever want to see your pathetic face cross my path again.  No one," he snarled the last word and lowered his voice dangerously, "Disrespects my bride in that manner and gets away with it and I mean absolutely no one."

     Her face was enraged.  Tatiana took one more long look at Shelby before letting out a shrill scream.  "You'll pay for this fledgling.  So help me, you will pay dearly.  I will tear your heart out myself."

     "Tatiana-" Leo started and before he could say anything else she was gone, under the cloak of night, she left the room.  He growled  deep in his chest, turning to his servant.  "Meet me in the parlor in thirty minutes," he ordered.

     Ric nodded his assent.  He was worried about Tatiana and but knew he had to play his rold for now, that was what was most impotant.  They had a plan and he was sworn to stick to that plan no matter what happened. 

     He walked briskly passed his Master with his head bowed vowing that he would take his vengeance soon.  He reached Shelby and their eyes briefly met.  The sooner the better, he thought to himself and he dropped his head once again and walked past her too.  The sooner the better.

     The room was eerily quiet now that the two of them were alone.  Shelby was watching Leo, wondering what in the hell it was about him that drew her to him so completely.  Part of her wanted to run for the hills while the other yearned for his touch.

     She was confused and puzzled over why it was that she acted like an enraged jealous lover when she walked in and saw Tatiana touching him so intimately.  She knew she was attracted to the man but it was the extent of that attraction that bothered her, as well as the why's.

     Leo held out his hand and in one deft movement, he beckoned her to him; it was time to get some answers.  "We need to talk."

 A/N  Okay- I know, a day late and a dollar short but better late than never right :D  Sorry for the delay in all my stories-  Work is crazy which is good, that means the economy is picking up and then there is the preparation for the holidays.  I'm uploading as I can, so hang tight and as always I hope you enjoy, adieu.... until next time.