Blood Match

Chapter 22: Elegance

Liam entered the dressing room, his eyes immediately drawn to his outfit for the evening.

It was clear the ensemble was curated for him using the finest designers for each and every piece—he recognized Tom Ford, Hermès, and noted a few unfamiliar to him such as Brunello Cucinelli.

A cream-colored Italian wool blazer, an Egyptian cotton dress shirt in ivory accented by mother-of-pearl buttons, pearl-grey trousers in a wool-silk blend with an off-white leather belt. A Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon watch in white gold sat on the dressing table with Cartier cufflinks. Chalk-white suede loafers finished the look.

Liam smiled to himself when he noticed Leo's outfit on the other side of the dressing room. They would be complementary in contrast.

---

Liam entered the library where Leo was standing by the fireplace with Tristan and a very handsome tall blonde man.

"Liam, may I introduce Alexi Volkov, the leader of La Corona De Fuego," Leo said, gesturing to the man standing next to Tristan.

Liam extended a hand to Alexi. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Volkov."

"Please, call me Alexi," Alexi said, shaking Liam's hand.

Liam stood by Leo and put his arm around his waist. He took a moment to give Leo the once-over. Leo's outfit was the complement to his own. Where Liam was light, Leo was dark.

Leo was wearing a charcoal wool blazer with a herringbone pattern from Tom Ford, a fitted black fine twill cotton dress shirt, navy-blue wool trousers, and a black leather dress belt by Salvatore Ferragamo with a burnished gunmetal Gancini buckle. Black leather Oxfords by Edward Green completed the look. He wore a watch in white gold with Tateossian onyx and black rhodium-plated sterling silver cufflinks.

"You look fantastic, Leonidas," Liam said, using Leo's full given name.

He smiled as he heard the faint growl vibrating in Leo's throat. He softly stroked Leo's back to calm him.

At that moment, Francisco entered the library. "Mr. De La Cruz, Don Antonio Balbao, Don Bernardo De La Hoya, and Señorita Elenora Vasquez request a moment of your time," Francisco announced as he entered the library and closed the double doors behind him.

"You may show them in, Francisco, and please ask Joseph to join us," Leo said, gesturing for Liam and Alexi to take seats on the black leather sofa while Leo himself sat in a tall leather wingback chair positioned by the fire.

Francisco opened the doors and showed the three guests in. Leo remained seated as they entered, his face a cold stone mask betraying no emotion.

"Don Antonio, it has been fifty years since I last saw you. Welcome to my home." Liam caught the slight emphasis on the word home.

Liam observed the elderly man, the beautiful woman, and Don Bernardo as they entered. He realized that both Don Antonio and the woman were vampires, and Don Bernardo was the lone human representative in this group. Don Antonio had silvery locks, piercing carnelian eyes, and smooth alabaster skin. He could have been plucked straight from the old Dracula movies of the 1940s, the perfect depiction of a vampire.

Señorita Vasquez, on the other hand, was stunningly gorgeous with her jet-black hair that fell to her shoulders, chilling ice-blue eyes, and a body that men would die for before she even bared her fangs.

Don Bernardo, with his poorly fitting suit and tired face, stood next to the two vampires, a pitiful representation of humanity in comparison.

Liam watched as Leo seemed to become more than he had been moments ago. Gone was the loving, gentle Leo, and in his place sat a predator—a being of absolute, terrifying power. Liam could see how Don Antonio and his assistants paled as they began to realize the trouble they were in.

"Mr. De La Cruz, indeed it has been a long time since you graced us with your presence here in Spain. May I ask you your reason for returning now?" Don Antonio asked carefully.

"I decided to return and celebrate Yule according to the old customs." As Leo was speaking, Joseph entered.

"You called for me, Leonidas?" Joseph asked, moving to stand to Leo's left.

"Yes, I did, Joseph. Am I right in assuming you reached out to the Vampire Human Authority before we made the journey back to Spain?"

"Yes, sir, I reached out to the VHA consulate here in Galicia several times, but they seemed uninterested in responding to my overtures," Joseph said, his voice flat.

"Don Antonio, we followed the established protocols and courtesies, but it seems that your office was unwilling to extend the same respect to us. But no matter, I am here now," Leo said, looking into Don Antonio's eyes.

"Of course, my apologies for the inefficiency of my office." Don Antonio looked like he had just swallowed some bad blood. "I will—"

"Don Antonio, is it protocol for your officials to be rude, demanding, and lacking in respect?" Liam asked, interrupting him.

"Liam, now, now. I'm sure Don Antonio would not condone Don Bernardo's earlier transgression."

"I hope that is true, Don Antonio, and I hope that you will provide additional training to your officials regarding how to handle contact with a person of Leo's stature," Liam said, looking directly at Don Bernardo.

Don Bernardo had begun to sweat as he became the object of not only Liam's attention but Joseph's and Alexi's as well. It was unsettling to become the focus of scrutiny from three powerful vampires.

"Mr. Von Anderson, Mr. De La Cruz, I apologize for my rudeness earlier, and I hope you will be forgiving," Don Bernardo said, bowing to Leo and Liam.

"Don Bernardo, we can offer forgiveness, but know that you were lucky to avoid crossing paths with Leo earlier. It could have ended badly for you."

"Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Von Anderson," Don Antonio cut in while giving Don Bernardo a look that said I will deal with you later. "May I ask what your relationship with Mr. De La Cruz is?"

"I am his partner," Liam said, taking Leo's hand.

"Ah, I see. Well then, I wish you both a happy Yule," Don Antonio said, smiling.

"Don Antonio, as is the tradition, we will open the manor on the Solstice and receive anyone who wishes to enter to celebrate the darkness. I hope you will join us," Leo said, more warmly now that the message had been delivered.

"Yes, Don Antonio, please join us and bring your associates. I'm sure they would enjoy the festivities," Liam added magnanimously.

"Thank you for the invitation. We should be leaving. Thank you for seeing us." Don Antonio bowed to Leo before the three followed Francisco out of the library. Leo watched them leave and waited for the doors to be closed before speaking.

"Alexi, Joseph, I need you to coordinate security for the coven meeting as well as the Solstice. I have invited the fox inside the henhouse, and I don't want anything to go wrong. Joseph, meet with Tristan after dinner and make sure the daytime security arrangements work seamlessly with the night. This is going to be a Yule to remember. Liam, you, Joseph, and Tristan head to the dining room—I want to speak with Alexi for a moment," Leo said, getting up from his chair.

"Alright, we will see you inside," Liam said, as he followed Joseph and Tristan out.

Leo waited for the door to shut.

"Alexi, it is very important that Liam is protected. There will be times when I cannot be with him. I'm counting on you to keep him safe."

"I will protect him with my life. Leo, is Liam your blood match?" Alexi said, allowing hope to color his words.

"I don't know, but I feel drawn to him. He excites me, and yet he calms me. He is very special to me. I haven't felt like this in three hundred years," Leo said, smiling.

---

Liam, Joseph, and Tristan entered the dining room. Kara walked over and took Joseph's hand.

"Where did you disappear to?"

"Leo had a meeting I had to attend. We had to slap the VHA around a bit," Joseph whispered conspiratorially.

"Oh, I forgot they were coming back tonight. Did Don Bernardo come too?"

"Yes, and I don't think he is going to have a good night. Don Antonio was very upset at his earlier behavior."

"He was a bit of a prick. You should have seen his confrontation with Liam—it was like Liam was a whole different person. He was commanding, almost regal, all iron fist and velvet glove. Don Bernardo didn't know what hit him."

"After what I saw in the meeting, I can believe it. Shall we join the others?" Joseph asked, escorting Kara to the table.

As Joseph and Kara settled into their seats, they noticed Tristan introducing Liam to his parents.

"Liam, this is my father and mother, Edward and Diana Carl," Tristan said.

Liam shook hands with Edward and Diana, taking note of the striking resemblance between Tristan and his father. They shared the same piercing blue eyes. However, Tristan had also inherited some of his mother's beauty—her delicate features reflected on his face, despite his strong resemblance to his father.

"It is an honor to meet you both." As Liam was speaking, a very beautiful woman entered the hall and made her way to Tristan's side. Tristan automatically put his arm around her.

"Liam, this is Mercedes Vasquez, my fiancée," Tristan said, smiling at the woman who stood next to him.

Liam's gaze fell upon the captivating woman, her auburn locks elegantly coiffed and her delicate features accentuated by her stunning hazel eyes. He couldn't help but notice how Tristan looked at her with utter adoration.

"Fiancée? Tristan, you've been keeping secrets!" Liam said. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Vasquez."

"Please, call me Mercy. I am so glad to meet you as well—I don't think I have ever seen Leo so happy. Whatever you are doing, please do more!" Mercy exclaimed, her eyes twinkling.

"I will try to oblige," Liam said, smiling.