A/N Chapter dedicated to @Ann5005 for the lovely cover she made in the media section ^_^
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Not a single moment passed when at least one servant wasn't fussing over me: fixing my hair, cleaning under my nails, or even brushing my teeth. By the time they'd finished, I was afraid to move - fearing I'd get dirty and they would start the awkward, embarrassing process again. The treatment was extremely unnecessary.
What is the meaning of this? I wondered.
If Leonard was honoring me, I had news for him: outside- it hadn't been some huge display of badassery; it was merely luck. Yes, I was a Spellbinder. I was also ignorant and inexperienced. Yet, here I was being treated like royalty.
I trailed behind Uma as she led me into the dining room. Her hand in mine, I could feel how rough they were. The same way my father's hands were when he used to work in the farming field outside the compound.
"What else do you do for the alpha?" I asked her.
"Anything he asks," she said.
For some reason, I felt very close to Uma. It could have been her innocence. Perhaps it was the fact that she looked so unhappy here, excluding the moments I made her giggle. I was unhappy in the compounds. Before Hector helped me escape, I thought I was destined to die there; alone, without knowledge of the rest of the world, without ever having done anything except gaze out of the window.
"It must be awful," I said.
"It's not so bad." She shrugged. "It beats trying to make it out there with the other humans."
Her confession stopped me.
"You're human?"
She nodded, her mess of dreaded champagne-colored hair swaying against her shoulders.
"So are Matilda, Jewel, and Donna," she said, with a nod behind us, where we'd left the other girls behind. "There's more, too. Happens lots now."
"So... They kidnap you to be servants to the alpha?" I asked, starting to really dislike the alpha, no matter how powerful and breathtaking he seemed.
"No, we are born here from the were women," she explained.
Like Wren, I thought sadly. I took a seat at a large pinewood table.
"Alpha Leonard keeps us, otherwise we would be in the wild, because our parents disown us when we don't get the first change at puberty." She looked positively downcast.
The very idea of it- But I knew how the animal instincts were. If something is wrong in their offspring, they abandoned them...or ate them. I cringed, pretty much feeling finished with the conversation. Then curiosity got the better of me and I carried on.
"Why doesn't the change come?"
"No new blood lines, too much of the old ones," she said.
It took a moment for me to grasp what she meant, then, eww.
After that little talk, I was still somehow able to fill up on soup - potatoes and beef. No food had ever tasted as delectable. Likely because I'd been eating food provided by creatures that didn't even eat food themselves. Meals had been very basic in the compounds, but here, a chorus of flavors burst from every bite. Everything was idealy seasoned and cooked to the exact moment of perfection. Either the alpha had a very talented chef, or the fact that I hadn't eaten properly in days was taking it's toll. By the time I had to stop, I felt my stomach would burst.
"That was fantastic!" I said.
Uma nodded, a small smile on her lips. "Yes, alpha Leonard prides himself in his cooking," she said.
"Huh? He cooked that?" I sputtered. I was openly shocked that a being of his stature would take time to cook anything when he had willing human slaves at his beck and call who would do it for him. Furthermore, his skill had been flawless.
"Alpha Leonard has many hobbies," Uma said.
"Indeed," I said.
"Excuse me," a young boy said to Uma, entering the room. "Alpha Leonard requests the Spellbinder. He's in his study."
I mentally scoffed at his reference. They seemed very hung up on labels in this place: Alpha Leonard, the Spellbinder. Just like the superior vamps had been crazy about their own labels and numbers.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to be referred to as Harper," I said.
The boy's face flushed. "Sorry, Harper," he said, looking toward the floor.
Curious, I thought. Why should he feel so abashed at my words?
"That's all right," I said kindly.
Paintings of people lined the walls of the hallway we walked as I followed Uma to the study. Some were of men alone, and some were of men and women together. Each person in every photo was always wearing furs. I was right, it did have something to do with status.
Uma knocked on the sturdy door of the study.
"You may enter," Leonard said in his rough voice.
"Harper is here to see you, Alpha," Uma said with a bow.
"Ah, lovely. Send her in."
Uma waved me inside a room with wall to wall bookshelves. There were enough books in there to keep me busy for the rest of my life! Maybe every book ever written, for all I knew. Leonard, with his dark hair disheveled, sat behind a desk, busily scribbling on fancy documents. He paused and looked up. A kind grin spread across his plump lips.
"Thank you, Uma, you may go," he said.
Uma nodded, then left, clasping the door behind her. I was alone with the alpha, and it was suddenly very hot.
"Should I curtsy?" I asked playfully, because I was getting nervous and tried to cover it.
"That won't be necessary," he said. "Come in, have a seat."
He waved toward a brown leather chair across the desk, much like the very one he sat in.
"Thank you for the meal, it was very, uhm, tasty," I finished pathetically.
He chuckled slightly. "I'm flattered, and also grateful you approve."
The chair was stiff, as though he rarely ever invited guests to it. I tore my view from him and studied the spines of some of the books behind him. His eyes followed mine briefly, then snapped back to me, the humbled guest.
"You like books?" he asked.
I nodded enthusiastically. "I do."
"You can read them as you please. In fact," he said, "If things go well here, as I hope, they will be as much yours as they are mine."
The hint was caught right away, but I swallowed heavily and said, "What do you mean?"
"You seem educated, possibly the most educated human of your age that I've seen in many years."
"My grandma taught me things."
"Nice. I take it she taught you of the world, of our social statuses?"
"Somewhat." My eyes narrowed.
"Harper, you and I-" he paused to let the very thought of him and me soak in. "To put it bluntly, we could change the world."
"That's exactly what I intend to do, sir," I said politely, with emphasis on the 'I'.
He chuckled again. This time louder. It wasn't like Hector's musical trill. It was more human. But he was no human either, which was as equally chilling. He was so much like me, but he was not like me.
"Call me Leon, please. I'm practically proposing to you and you're calling me 'sir'."
"Well, seeing as we just met, Leon..."
"You're hesitant, I understand. But think of it, Harper: a Werewolf Alpha and a Spellbinder...nothing could touch us. Our children would be like Gods."
"Children? Look, I don't even know you, and the whole breeding thing is why I ran away to begin with," I said angrily. "Besides even if I did want to loan out my loins, I can't guarantee that my offspring would be magical. I can't even guarantee my own damn power!"
"Oh you're powerful, no doubt. I can feel it. Call it a gift. I can sense danger from a mile away, and you, my beautiful dear, reek of it. I want to be a part of that power, Harper." He was serious. He thought his pitch was irresistible, I could tell from the sly grin on his ruggedly handsome face.
Great, I thought. Why is everyone always trying to breed with me? The whole situation was insane. But knowing my luck, turning him down would land me back in the cage. I seriously doubted he would be dumb enough to throw deaders inside. He'd probably throw Gus inside. I shuttered. Unless I found a way to stall him until I could get away.
"You've been so kind," I said finally. "But I'm not sure. It's a lot you're asking for."
"It is," he agreed. "I don't want to force or push you into anything. I wouldn't even discuss this so soon if it weren't for the high demand."
"High demand?"
"The meeting I attended, supernaturals came from far and wide, all types from all areas- even some alternate dimensions. The Superiors want you, at any cost. I may want what power you have, but I also offer to share my own. I want to keep you safe."
I nodded. "Like the Superior Vamps?"
"No." His yellow eyes scorched as much as the word he spat. "I would never keep you locked away. I would never hold you against your will." His face softened to almost endearment. "You are free to go any time you wish, but should you stay, I will protect you at all costs. As my Luna and heir bearer, you would be my Queen and the Queen of my people."
My heart skipped a beat. "Queen? Bu-but that's awfully large shoes to fill-"
"Nonsense." He waved a hand through the air, then gestured it openly at me. "You fill in the shoes and clothes of past Lunas quite splendidly."
I looked down at the exquisite fur covering me. "All Lunas have worn this?"
"Well, there have been alterations since the last Luna, my mother, wore it." He gave an odd look that suggest I wasn't getting something.
Suddenly, it dawned on me. "You don't mean- You're saying this is made of past Lunas?" I said with shock and slight disgust.
"As I wear the past Alphas. It is an honor."
"Yeah, but, I'm wearing your mom?" I said.
"Yes, you wear the fur of the late and great Luna Mitzi Channing, who did give birth to me along with nine others. I believe you met my idiot brother outside-"
"Oh please don't say Gus..."
"Yes, unfortunately. We can't all be perfect can we?" he said and raised his brows. "I have flaws, but I also have the brains to recognize and admit them. One thing I'm sure of, you would never be counted among them. I watched you out there. You have no idea yet how magnificent you are."
My face heated and i had to look away. How can he say such things when he barely knows me? Likely because he was willing to say anything to get what he wants. But...that didn't seem right. I had felt nothing but sincerity radiating from him - the same thing I felt from Hector.
Hector. He would be waking in a few hours, and I needed to get to him.
"If you don't mind, I would like to be alone to think things over," I said.
"As you wish, my dear Harper," he said kindly, then he pressed a button on a speaker on the desk. "Send Uma to show Harper to her room."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. I hope you enjoy your time here, and I hope you decide to stay. I'll undoubtably make it worthwhile."
His words were warm, sending out signals to heat up my whole body. He meant a lot of things by those words, and apparently part of me liked them. But the other part said, "Huh-uh, Harper, you have a mission. Besides, hello, you're in love with a big bad Vampire, remember him? The funny blonde guy, likes to sniff you and slurp blood. Ring any bells?" Everything was getting so confusing.