Meeting Destiny; Lachlan’s Story (Annalese and the Immortals) Read Online Free

at the same time their dinner companions did. Lese, now fully understood what a Tepes was. Vladislaw Basarab Tepes IV, nephew of the great Impaler. He was frightening and his mate Sophie was such a joy. Lese thought they could become friends. Her aura was golden and pure. After dinner the girls excused themselves to the ladies room, leaving the men alone.
    “McCain, spit it out. What’s going on? This doesn’t have anything to do with mating.”
    “No T., I got to Lese’s apartment and found Vincent there.”
    “Fuck—”
    “Yeah, my thought exactly.”
    “Please tell me he’s ash,” Vlad said, almost seething.
    “Oh hell, yes. I can’t understand how he knew. Had to be following me, but I haven’t scented anything out of the ordinary. Well, now I know Percy still holds a grudge.”
    “McCain, it was 200 years ago, and we were defending ourselves. You can’t let her go home. When Vincent doesn’t come back, he’s just going to send more. You need to come clean with her, and I’ll do the same with Sophie.”
    “I thought Soph knew all your secrets oh-Master-of-Darkness.” Lachlan said laughing.
    “Up yours smart ass. I tried at one time, but she said it didn’t matter. She didn’t need to know. Well, now she does.”
    Yup—she did—and so did Annalese.
    They finished dinner and dessert, and parted ways.
    Lachlan made a pit stop at his penthouse for two glasses and the bottle of scotch. And he grabbed a blanket just in case.
    They leaned against Lachlan’s Rover overlooking Lake Erie, in silence, neither one wanting to be the first to start the conversation.
    Lachlan broke. “I’m verra sorry for everything. You’ve wound up in the middle of a mess because of me; and las, it would kill me if anything happened to you. I donna know how to fix this, and I didna mean to screw up your life. It’s just, when I saw ye the other night trying to unlock your car, it was like an angel had fallen from the heavens and I—”
    Lese stopped him. She had her hand over his mouth.
    “Lachlan, stop, just stop. I’m a pretty smart girl, so I think I know what happened at my apartment. For whatever reason, he wanted you. Am I getting this about right?”
    Lachlan nodded and downed his third scotch, and poured a fourth.
    “Hey Vampire, you may want to slow down on those. Anyway, why, when we barely know each other, would he come after me? And what did you do to piss someone off so bad, huh?”
    Oh fuck , Lachlan thought. Well, here goes nothing. “OK lass, I’ll tell ye everything, but ye may wanna go somewhere warmer. It’s gonna take time.”
    “Nope, I’m good. Spit it out, Lachlan.”
    And he did. From the murder of his human family to the revenge he and Vlad had taken on all of the rogues. He left out no details. And even the night he saw her, and what he felt in his heart she was to him. Lese listened attentively to every word Lachlan spoke. She read pain, heartbreak, joy, sorrow, and a host of other emotions as he recanted the tale. And then, he went silent. He just stared ahead, holding the crystal bottle of scotch.
    “So ye see, lass, I’m quite the bastard. But you, you make me wanna be… different. With you I just feel.”
    “Lachlan, look at me.” He did and he could see tears in those emerald eyes.
    “Aye, lass, no.” God, she was in pain, and he’d caused it.
    “No, Lachlan, you don’t understand. I can feel your emotions. I’m an empath. The tears are because I feel the pain in you.”
    “Holy shite, an empath. I had wondered if you were gifted. Now we know. I canna hide anything from you.”
    “Yeah, Vampire, you’re screwed.” Lese let herself laugh. “Seriously though, it was a long time ago and it was part of the nature of a newbie. Right? Let it go, Lachlan. I forgive you.”
    Whoa! She forgave him. Oh, goddess. She really was an angel. And in that moment he kissed her. What started as a chaste kiss quickly turned into a passionate tango of tongues. He’d pulled her so