Colorblind (Moonlight) (11 page)

The hand at her nape stroked reassuringly, but she shook her head and repeated, “Oh God, Leon. I’m sorry.” She inhaled deeply. “I don’t know what came—”

His answer was to pull her head down. As his lips captured the rest of her words, she moaned in both pleasure and sorrow.

When he released her, she pulled away and stared at him.

A half-smile curved his lips, and his expression was one of adoration.
You are beautiful.

Frowning in confusion, she shook her head.

Don’t apologize for what is natural to us,
ma louve
.

She eyed the puncture wounds again, shocked to find they were no more than two red dots, reminiscent of mosquito bites.

I attacked you, Leon. That is not natural.

At that moment, he slipped from her body, and Penny made an attempt to scramble away from him. She was disgusted with herself. As if knowing what she intended, Leon moved with her, coming to rest above her. His body boxed her in, preventing any sudden movements. She avoided his eyes, turning her head and looking at the pale stream of moonlight that slid through the window.

It is very normal, Penny. I should have known to remove the clothing before I came to you.

That doesn’t justify it.

Look into my mind. See for yourself that this is a natural occurrence, especially between new mates.

Leon, please—I just want to go back—

His hand settled on her face, and he made her look at him. His eyes had shifted back to their beautiful green, and his expression was both tender and demanding.

Look into my mind,
ma louve
. See that I tell no lies.

She slipped into his mind, if just to get him away so she’d be able to face her shame alone. The images hit her immediately. Various couples with one thing in common: newly mated. One image particularly stood out in her mind, of a man who resembled Leon, tugging a waif-like yet tall and extremely beautiful blonde away from another man and marching her out of a silent, watchful ballroom.

When she slipped away from his mind, Penny said softly, “Those images show jealousy, Leon, which is natural. Not what I just did.”

Leon blinked down at her, narrowed his eyes, and asked, “What do you think happened after those displays of jealousy?”

She said nothing, and he watched her for long moments. “Are you sure I didn’t hurt you?”

Leon sighed and nuzzled her neck. Her hands went around his back and she caressed him easily. “You can’t—
didn’t
—hurt me,
ma louve
.” He kissed the side of her neck.
I enjoyed every moment of it.

Penny laughed softly and Leon rolled over and pulled her against his side. She could feel his fatigue.

The man who pulled the blond woman away…was he your brother??

She was curious.

Yes. That was Sebastien and his mate, Elise.

You look alike.

He laughed softly.
I look the least like Sebastien. Armand, Étienne, and I favor each other most.

She smiled.
And his mate, Elise, she is very beautiful.

As are you,
ma louve
.

She kissed his chest softly and released a soft yawn, burying her face in his side. Leon pulled her tighter against his side.

I always feel safe with you, Leon.

You should. I would die first before I would let anything happen to you.

It was the truth. Even without searching his mind, the conviction she heard in his voice cemented it.

***

The following Monday was extremely busy for Leon. He’d seen Penny a handful of times when he rushed into his office to get something and to kiss or caress her before rushing out again.

He now owned ten new slaves, and for the entire morning, he had been busy managing their setup on the plantation. There were six women and four men, and it was obvious that Pleasant had selected them with a keen and careful eye. Two of the women were pregnant, although Pleasant had only informed him of one. Although most were to work the fields, one was a house slave, possibly Jolie’s age, and she was one of the pregnant females, the one who was not showing.

By the time he returned to his office, Penny had left for the fields, leaving behind only her scent to drive him wild. Deciding he would see her that night, he went about updating the list of slaves he would be selling to Armand. A new development had arisen and it was more urgent than others.

He’d just finished when there was a knock on his door. When he called for the person to enter, Jolie strolled in.

“Excuse me, Massa,” she said. “Someone named Mr. Hardy say ’e’s here to see you.”

Mr. Hardy? Leon did not know a Mr. Hardy, but instead of telling Jolie that, he only nodded and asked, “And where is Mr. Hardy now, Jolie?”

“In the front room, Massa.”

“Thank you, Jolie. Please tell him that I will be with him shortly.”

“Massa.”

***

When Leon stepped into the front room, which also served as the waiting room, he found a man standing before one of the tall windows, staring out. He wore a wide-brimmed hat that had once been white, dusty, worn out jeans, and a plaid shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows.

He cleared his throat and inhaled, freezing as he did so. It couldn’t be, but it was—

“Are you wondering how I’ve come to be Mr. Hardy?” a voice as familiar as his own drawled.

“Mr. Hardy” turned around and Leon stared into a face he’d seen almost every day of his life.
Étienne
. Why his brother was dressed as an overseer or a cattle-hand was the question.

“How are you here?” Leon asked.

“Perhaps it would be best discussed somewhere…more private?” His green eyes lifted briefly to a point behind Leon and Leon caught the scent of a human female. Jolie.

As if sensing she’d been caught, Jolie stepped forward and asked in a breathy and high voice, “Is Massa wantin’ that I bring something for Mr. Hardy?”

“No. Thank you, Jolie.”

She nodded and retreated. When Leon turned back to Étienne, his brother was looking at the spot where Jolie had been.

“Pretty human,” he murmured softly, caressing his smooth-shaven cheek. “Conniving, though.”

“Come, let’s talk in my office.”

Étienne stepped forward and then froze as if remembering something. “I should get Armand….”

Leon blinked in surprise. “He’s here?”

Étienne nodded, his grin growing wider. In a low voice, he said, “He thinks the humans have forgotten his face, or at least expect him to be much older.”

Shaking his head, Leon said, “Where is he?”

“Roaming your fields. He wanted a rough estimate of how many slaves you had in total.”

“He could have simply asked.”

“That’s what I told him,” Étienne replied, following his brother as he headed for the door.

***

She was being watched. Penny knew it, but she couldn’t place who was doing the watching.

Moving at a brisk pace, she headed to the slave quarters. It was yet early for the slaves to retire so she would be going back to the fields soon. A few of the older women had been complaining of stiff joints and Penny knew Old Ma had brewed a mixture that would help them. Because the mixture was under Old Ma’s bed, Penny had volunteered to go quickly and get it.

But from the moment she’d left the fields, she’d felt eyes on her. It wasn’t Pleasant or Hollis. She knew their scents well. She sensed it was something dangerous, but couldn’t pick it up. Leon had taught her how to do it, but for some reason, this scent eluded her.

She entered the small cabin and found Old Ma lying upon her cot, asleep. Without disturbing the woman, Penny found the mixture, poured some into a small jar, and pushed it into the large pockets of her gown. As she stepped from the cabin, she looked around cautiously, wondering if she was being paranoid. The feeling was no longer there, so she turned and headed in the direction of the fields.

One moment she was walking along the slave quarters to the fields. The next, a man had stepped into her path, intense green eyes locked on her. Her instincts immediately kicked in. He was like her and Leon, a werewolf. In fact, he looked like Leon, but that did nothing to quell the trepidation that spiked in her heart when he took a step forward.

Penny retreated, but still he came, his long strides eating up the distance between them easily. Penny moved back quickly, forgetting about the tree stumps located between some of the cabins, and promptly lost her balance over one.

As she hit the ground, she let out a squeal, which turned into a pained groan as her backside came in contact with the unyielding earth. The man was over her in a second, his hands slipping under her body as he helped her to her feet.

“I apologize,” he began in a deep baritone not unlike Leon’s. “I did not mean to frighten you. I was only surprised to find one of my kind living among slaves.”

The wind still knocked out of her, Penny only nodded, and attempting to dust off her backside. She winced at the soreness.

“Again, I apol—”

A low growl hit both of their ears at the same time, and the man holding her released her as if she’d burned him. That did her no favors because she’d been leaning against him, and with his body no longer there, she was thrown off balance. The man caught her again, and Penny attempted to right herself as the growl came again, this time fiercer and more intense.

She lifted her head and found Leon standing there. He looked to her briefly before turning his attention to the other man. She could feel his anger as if it were her own.

Although it still hurt to move, she stepped away from the man.

Leon?

He didn’t acknowledge her. His attention was wholly focused on the man next to her.

Another man, standing behind Leon and wearing a hat that seemed to obscure most of his features, attempted to touch Leon’s shoulder. He hastily withdrew the hand when Leon almost snapped it off.

Leon!

The pain had subsided so Penny gingerly made her way into his line of sight. He scanned her quickly, pausing on her hips as if pinpointing where her pain was. And then he began to move, long strides that drew him closer to her. His hand cupped her face and he asked, “Did he hurt you?”

Yellow eyes darted behind her and Penny touched his chin to pull his attention back to her. “No. No, Leon. I fell over a tree stump.”

“Because he frightened you,” he added in a menacing voice.

“It was unintentional,” she said hastily, sensing Leon was preparing to do something quite irrational on her behalf.

Leon stared at her for long moments, and then he nodded once and his hands dropped from her face. He looked over her head and snarled, “Armand.”

His brother, Penny thought. The man behind her was his brother.

“Leon.”

The man behind Leon spoke up, his voice unnaturally cheerful. “Étienne.” He looked directly at her and she noticed his eyes were the same color as Leon’s. His bone structure was similar as well. The only difference was that he was thinner and had an air of devilment about him, while Leon was more stoic. “And you are?”

“Penny. I’m Penny.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Penny,” Étienne murmured, dipping his head in respect.

The sound of shuffling footsteps touched their ears. Someone was approaching.

“Armand. Étienne. My office,” Leon said, his voice still sharp, his shoulders still tense.

His eyes traveled her face and then slid down her body once more as if making sure she wasn’t seriously injured, and then spoke one word directly into her mind.
Tonight.

She understood. A little smile touched her lips as she responded.

Yes.

Chapter Seven

Armand winced as his back collided with the unyielding oak door he was slammed against. Leon’s face pushed close to his, as if he’d been waiting to get Armand away from prying eyes for this reason. Étienne headed for them but Armand stopped him with a quick shake of his head. Their brother had been mated, recently so, and as such, he was unpredictable, especially as he’d just encountered Armand all over his mate.

“Leon,” he began calmly, resisting the urge to defend himself. “I had no intention of frightening her—”

“You hurt her,” Leon retorted, slamming him into the door again. There was an audible crack, as if the door would come unhinged. Armand grit his teeth as his brother’s aggression triggered his own. Werewolves didn’t take kindly to being pushed around.

“It was unintentional. I was surprised to find a
were
living as a slave on your plantation. Even more, I was surprised to find your scent all over her.” Armand paused before adding, “You didn’t mention that you’d taken a mate, brother.”

A snarl curled Leon’s lips upward, but his grip on Armand’s shirt loosened, and he stepped away, pacing over to the other side of the room and remaining there.

Armand fixed his shirt. Étienne removed his hat, took a seat, and waited. Two pairs of green eyes remained locked on Leon.

Minutes passed before Leon released a deep breath, ran a hand through his hair, and looked to them. He addressed Armand first.

“I thought you were sending your slaver-drivers for the slaves?”

“We are the slavers,” Armand replied drolly, indicating his and Étienne’s outfits. Leon had wondered at their attire. Now, he understood.

Nodding, he turned to Étienne. “And you? I thought you were still in Paris.”

“I couldn’t let you two have all of the glory, now could I?” Étienne replied easily, an easy smile curving his lips.

Leon nodded, knowing his brother had come because, like Leon, he wanted to help. He refocused his attention on Armand. “When will you leaving with them?”

“Tomorrow, if possible. The sooner we leave, the better.”

Reaching into his desk, Leon withdrew a sheaf of slips from the drawer.

“Are those the records of ownership?” Armand asked, taking a step toward him.