Dark Celebration

Tempest. Tell me. Surely these pies are not so important. Tell me what has you so upset. He rubbed his fur along hers as he shifted back to his human form, sitting in the snow, holding the female leopard in his lap. Her teeth were mere inches from his throat as he looked into her eyes, seeing beyond the cat to his mate. You are my life, Tempest. You know I cannot bear to see you upset. This cannot be beyond my ability to fix.

The cat shifted in his arms, warm fur giving way so that soft skin slid over his and a wealth of silky hair fell across his face. Tempest circled his neck with her slender arms. «I don't know, Darius. I don't know what's wrong, but I want to cry all the time.»

He felt a small shiver run down her spine and gathered her closer, automatically regulating their body temperatures so they wouldn't feel the cold. His fingers fisted in her thick red hair. «How long has this been going on and why did I not know?»

«Because it's so stupid, Darius. There's nothing wrong.» She rubbed her face along his chest much like a feline, as if remnants of the animal still clung to the woman. «I'm not used to being around people, so maybe I'm just nervous.»

He touched her face and found tears. His heart clenched in his chest. Darius took a deep breath and let it out. «I am going to check you over, Tempest. We do not know what conversion might have done to your body. Perhaps you are ill.»

She turned her face into his neck. «Maybe I am. I don't feel very well.»

He frowned as he brushed the hair from her face. «You did not want to take any sustenance this evening. I thought it was because of this dinner. After all this time, does it still bother you?»

«Not when it is from you,» she admitted. «I just feel tired, that's all. Tired and out of sorts, I guess.»

«You should not have tried to hide this from me,» he said.

«I didn't want you to worry about me, like you're doing now. This entire time you've been looking around us, searching the ground, the sky, the trees, as if you're expecting trouble.

You have enough to do just looking after the security.»

«Anything concerning you is always and forever my first priority, Tempest.» He brushed bright red strands of hair from her face. «I know the adjustment to our way of life has been hard on you.»

She shook her head. «It was my choice, Darius. I wanted to be with you. I chose you and your way of life myself. You would have chosen differently for me-for us. I've grown to love the others, Desari and Julian, Dayan and Corrine and Barack and Syndil, and I'm getting used to being around them, but this…» She waved her hand to encompass the snow-covered mountains and forest where all the homes were hidden from prying eyes. «This is overwhelming to me.»

He feathered the pad of his thumb back and forth tracing over her cheekbone. «We do not have to participate, baby. We can walk away from this-go far away and just be together. I thought you wanted to come.»

«I do.» Her lower lip trembled and tears filled her eyes. «I thought I did.»

He bent his head to capture her mouth with his. «Do not cry, Tempest. I would much rather feel the heat of your temper. Your tears are heartbreaking.»

She attempted a soft laugh in the midst of their kiss. «Tears are normal.»

«Not for you. You are far more likely to throw a very hard snowball at me and call me names than cry.»

He kissed her again, and Tempest could taste his desperate need to comfort her. It shamed her that she couldn't stop wanting to weep-and it was so unlike her. She wanted to crawl into a hole and pull the soil over her head. She wanted to cling to Darius, another trait so unlike her. He simply held her, rocking gently back and forth as if she were a child, and when she looked up at his face, his black gaze moved restlessly-ceaseless in his vigil to search out danger around them.

«Its so beautiful here, Darius, it doesn't seem as if we could possibly be in danger. I wish you could find a way to relax and just enjoy life-even if it's only for a day or two while we're here.»

He touched one stray tear with his fingertip and brought it to his mouth. Tempest found the gesture curiously sexy. Her stomach did a funny little flip-a sensation she was becoming used to. She secretly found Darius the sexiest, most attractive man in the world, but she wasn't about to let him know that-not with his bossy ways.

«I am relaxed. Being vigilant does not mean I cannot relax. I want to examine you, Tempest. Not because I think anything is wrong, but just so neither of us is worried.»

A slow smile drove away the tears. «You mean you're worried. Go ahead then. I don't

like it when you get upset on my account.» He was the most protective being she'd ever run across in her life. Darius could hardly bear for her to be out of his sight. If she did have some kind of strange illness, she'd never have a moment without Darius at her side. Even when the band performed onstage and he was working security, he kept Tempest beside him. If he needed to ease his mind by examining her, she was all for it.

Darius wasted no time, his body simply dropping away from his spirit so that he moved in complete freedom, a white hot light of pure energy entering her easily. Darius took his time, looking at her blood, her heart and lungs, moving lower… For the first time in his life he lost his focus and found himself back in his own body, sweat breaking out, his heart pounding. He stared down at her, panic in his eyes.

«What is it? What's wrong?»

His heart thundered in his ears. She looked so anxious, her eyes enormous, but holding such trust it steadied him as nothing else could. «Nothing is wrong. In fact everything is right.» He stole another deep, calming breath, gripping her wrists, pinning her tightly against his chest. «What do you know about babies?»

«Babies?» Tempest drew back, shaking her head in adamant denial. «Absolutely nothing and it's going to stay that way. I've never even held a baby. I didn't exactly have parents, Darius, to show me what to do, so if you have a sudden yearning for children, you're going to have to think about finding another lifemate. Of course, then I'd begin immediately taking body parts off of you, but what the heck? You wouldn't need everything for another woman, now would you?»

«Our women always know when they can get pregnant.»

Her eyebrow shot up. «How?»

He shrugged, looking confused. «I do not know. I suppose they check. I should have been aware of your breeding cycle.»

«Breeding cycle?» There was horror in her tone. «I don't have a breeding cycle. That's just disgusting. Do Carpathians have birth control? I thought you could control that. You control everything else.»

«If we are paying attention.»

«Well, start paying attention. If you can control the weather and call down lightning, you can certainly keep us from having babies. I'm a mechanic. I fix things. Every time Corrine comes in with her baby, I go out the back door, or hadn't you noticed.»

Darius managed another long breath of ice cold air. He tightened his hold on Tempest. «I have been alive for centuries, and in all that time, I never thought once of birth or babies. Once I found you, all I could think of was what a miracle you are to me, not checking for cycles.»

Tempest shrugged. «I didn't think about it either. So now we'll just be careful.»

«It is a little too late to be careful.»

There was a small silence. Tempest pulled back slightly to stare into his dark eyes. «What are you saying?»

«You are pregnant with our child,» Darius announced.

She shoved him hard, throwing herself out of his lap to scramble away, struggling to her feet, hands on hips, glaring at him. «Okay. That's just not funny. I don't do babies, Darius. And I'm not in the mood to have you joke with me about it.» She pointed a shaky finger at him. «You never once said you wanted children.»

«Tempest, I would not even consider joking about such an important thing. You are carrying our child. I saw it in your body, nestled safe and sound, growing every day. I should have been instantly aware, but I have been more concerned with our safety and did not consider that such an event could happen.»

She backed up, looking frightened. «I can't have a baby, Darius. Really. I can't be a parent. I'm a mess.» She shook her head. «You're mistaken. You have to be mistaken, that's all.»

Darius sat in the snow regarding her with a raised eyebrow. «I very seldom make mistakes, Tempest, and certainly not of this magnitude. It is shocking to me that I never noticed the heartbeat. It is very strong. I obviously need to be far more vigilant where you are concerned.»

«Is that all you have to say? Darius! Carpathian women are not supposed to be able to get pregnant very easily. I'd better be Carpathian after going through the conversion.»

«Baby.» His voice was low, a velvet soothing caress. «Of course you are pregnant. It explains everything.»

«Everything?»

«Your mood swings, the tears, the temper. I have heard it is easy to have accidents such as the ones in the kitchen.»

«Oh you have, have you?» Her teeth snapped together. «There's about to be another accident right here, Darius. I don't have mood swings. As for a temper, you're impossibly bossy and would make the easiest going person lose their mind.»

«Check for yourself.»

His calm, steady tone set her teeth on edge. Just once she'd like him to be wrong-and this was the perfect moment for it. She needed him to be wrong. Surely she'd know if she

was going to have a baby? And he would have known. He knew everything. Tempest took a deep breath and let go of the physical world around her.

There it was. A tiny heart beating, little more than that, but definitely a new life. Tempest observed in total amazement and awe. This tiny creature lived inside her. A part of her-a part of Darius. «How come I didn't know?»

She was barely aware of Darius standing beside her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. «I should have known,» he said gently. «It was my responsibility to watch over your health at all times. I was so busy worried about enemies, it did not occur to me to think about pregnancy, but I should have.»

She leaned into him, murmuring aloud, more to herself than to him. «What in the world are we going to do? I have no idea how to take care of a baby.» She looked up at him, afraid to be happy, afraid of the love and joy already growing. «You know me, Darius. Other than you, I've never really gotten attached to anyone.»

«That is not entirely true. You are very attached to the others in the band. I can feel your affection for them.»

«It isn't the same thing as having a child. I could drop it. And I have no idea how to be a Carpathian, let alone a Carpathian parent. This is so scary. What are we going to do?» She clutched his hand, feeling desperate.

«I guess we're having a baby.» He feathered kisses down her face to the corner of her mouth. «We can do anything together, Tempest. By the time the baby gets here, we can figure it out.»

«Aren't you terrified? Just a little, Darius?»

«I kept Desari and Syndil alive. We will do just fine.» Few things terrified him. The possibility of losing Tempest was the only thing he could think of offhand. He had never asked for a single thing in his long, difficult life, until she had come along. She was a miracle to him with her brightness. She was so alive-her moods mercurial, her laughter often and contagious. There was no existence for him without her and he wouldn't lose her, not to an enemy, not to accidents and certainly not in childbirth.

She was trembling. «I thought the conversion took care of all that. I mean, I didn't have a cycle anymore so I just stopped thinking about it. And it didn't seem like anyone ever got pregnant. Corrine was pregnant before she became Dayan's lifemate. And isn't there some kind of time-out for newbies?»

«It does not seem so.»

«You're not even upset,» she accused. «You're the man. The man always gets upset when the woman gets pregnant. It's practically tradition.»

His face always seemed carved in stone, a ruggedly sensual face with no expression and eyes that were flat and cold and held the promise of death-until he looked at her. Tempest loved the slow smile that occasionally curved his mouth and lit his black eyes. She especially loved the way he looked right now-with love heating the ice and flooding her with warmth.

Her lungs found the rhythm of his. Her heart beat in perfect time to his. «You're really not afraid, Darius?»

He shook his head. «This will be a good thing. Our child will grow up with Dayan's child. They will not ever be lonely. It is important, especially if they are male, that they have someone they can count on-have a strong bond with. As the years pass, sometimes it is only remembered friendship that holds us to our honor when we are without a lifemate.»

«Don't tell anyone I'm so afraid. There have to be books on parenting. I'll just sit around and read.»

He brought her hands to his mouth and pressed kisses along her knuckles. «You're shivering. We should get back to the house.»

«You mean before someone notices the great big hole in the wall?» She managed a small smile. She stepped away from him and took off with confidence, walking back in the direction of the house, shoulders straight, head up, determined to make up for all her shortcomings. If Darius could handle having a baby, then so could she. Of course, she wasn't touching it until it was at least three years old. She chewed nervously on her lower lip and glanced back at Darius. He just stood there shaking his head. «What? Are you reading my thoughts again? I told you never to do that. It's bad enough that I have to try to follow what I'm thinking. And it's only fair for you to handle the baby until he's three, and then I'll take over.»

«Really?» He caught the back of her jacket and tugged her around. «The house is in the opposite direction. That way leads into deep forest.»

«I knew that. I was just making sure you were on top of things.» She grinned at him. «The snow's a little disorienting.»

He took her hand and led her in the right direction. «I noticed you said 'he.' You think we're having a boy?»

«If we're going to do this, Darius, it has to be a boy. I definitely wouldn't know what to do with a girl. And the poor thing would be a prisoner. You'd never let her out of your sight and you'd scare any young man who came near her.»

He growled low in his throat, and Tempest burst out laughing. «See? Just the thought gets you riled up.»

«I never get riled up. It is a complete waste of energy.»

Tempest stepped in front of him, stopping so abruptly his body bumped up against hers. One slender arm circled his neck and she leaned close, pressing her soft breasts into his chest, and lifted her mouth to his. Her long hair spilled over his arm as he instantly responded, fingers curling around the nape of her neck to hold her to him, deepening the kiss until she thought she might melt the snow all around them. She broke it off, her eyes sparkling at him. «You get riled.»

His heart slammed hard in his chest, a sensation only Tempest seemed to create. «Around you maybe.»

She waited this time, taking his hand again so they could stroll back through the gently falling snow to the house.

«Someone is close by,» Darius announced as they emerged from the trees into the clearing where the house stood. He inhaled sharply. «It is the prince. Stay behind me, Tempest.»

Tempest dropped back a foot, rolling her eyes at what she considered unnecessary protection. She slipped her hand into Darius's back pocket. I thought the prince was the leader of the Carpathians. Are we supposed to fear him?

Darius's warning growl met with soft laughter. He glanced back at her. I do not know him as the others do and I prefer to ensure your safety. He turned back to greet the prince, who seemed to be inspecting the damaged wall. «Mikhail, I was just about to fix the house.»

The prince arched a black brow. «Should I inquire as to what happened?»

«Better not,» Darius advised. «Some things are best left mysteries. Give me a minute to repair the damage and we can go inside, out of the weather, to visit.»

«The hole appears larger than I remember.» Tempest peered around Darius to scowl at the blackened ruin of a kitchen. «I think someone's been here adding to the wreckage. It didn't look like this when we left it.» She flashed a tentative smile at the prince. «The house is really nice. Thank you for lending it to us.»

Mikhail turned away to keep the couple from seeing the laughter in his eyes. Raven's idea of having the Carpathians cook dinner for the guests at the inn was turning out to be more fun than he had anticipated. «Raven and I are more than happy to lend you one of our houses. We hope you are able to stay for a long visit and maybe look upon this place as your home when you are not traveling.»

«Thank you,» Darius said politely, without committing to anything.

Hands on hips, Mikhail stared at the gaping hole in the wall of one of his most beloved dwellings. «I have always wanted a small alcove there. I thought the room was too square and needed an intimate conversation area.»

Darius nodded. «I believe you are right, and it's very easily done. Is this what you had in mind?» He waved his hands and the sides of the house moved into a series of curves.

Mikhail studied the structure and nodded. «Something like that. More on this line.» He added to the curves, making them serpentine, so that the house appeared to be a giant snake. «What do you think?»

Tempest shook her head as the two men remodeled the kitchen. It looked like a competition to her rather than a repair job. She sighed and rubbed her hand over her stomach. The idea of having a child had never occurred to her. After she had gone through the conversion and her normal bodily functions ceased, she simply didn't give a thought to birth control. It was a stupid mistake, and one she couldn't take back.

Darius seemed fine with the idea, maybe even pleased, but nothing ever rocked him. He was a dangerous, lethal man, completely confident in his abilities, and the confidence was born of experience. She had been on the run most of her life. She had no family and didn't know the first thing about children.

We will do fine. Darius brushed the words through her mind like caressing fingers, his voice so soft and warm she could feel him inside her.

Not if you keep changing the house. It's making me feel dizzy, not to mention it's ugly. Stop competing and let's go inside. Sheesh! You're like a couple of schoolboys.

Darius cleared his throat. «Tempest would like to go in. That particular shape is obnoxious, but we can live with it for the brief amount of time we will be here if it is what you desire.»

Mikhail burst out laughing. «It is obnoxious. Raven would think I had lost my mind. I could not resist.»

Darius took Tempest's hand, his thumb brushing a subtle caress over her inner wrist as they entered the house. «I hope you are not here to check on how the cooking is progressing. We are not quite ready for tonight's celebration.»

«I have no interest in cooking, although I do not think the others are faring much better than you two. I just dropped by to get your opinion on a couple of things.»

Darius waved Mikhail toward the most comfortable chair. «What can I do for you?»

«Well, before we get too deep in serious things, I thought you might like to know, Raven has decreed someone must play Santa Claus.»

Darius stiffened, but his face remained without expression. «The jolly man in the red suit.»

«Exactly. I can see that your reaction is much the same as mine. Fortunately, I have a

son-in-law and I feel it is his duty to take on this…» He paused searching for the right word.

Something very close to amusement flickered in the depths of Darius's eyes. «Honored task,» he supplied.

Mikhail nodded. «I could not have found a better description.»

«I will be more than happy to accompany you when you tell my older brother you are bestowing such a privilege on him.»

«Strangely enough, quite a few others wish to be there as well.»

Tempest looked from one solemn face to the other. «Are you both crazy? That man could scare the devil.»

«That is what you say about me.»

«Well, you could too,» Tempest pointed out. «But he isn't telling you to play Santa to a bunch of children.»

«And I sincerely thank you for that,» Darius said. The amusement faded from his eyes as he continued to study Mikhail's face. «You are worried, and not about my brother playing the part of St. Nick. What is it?»

«I am uneasy over the gathering of our women in one place. While I think it is a good thing for all of us to get together, it has occurred to me that our enemies will figure out that it would not take much to wipe out our species.»

Darius nodded. «There are so few women and children. Get rid of them and the males have no hope. Very soon chaos would reign and many would choose life as the undead over death.»

Mikhail nodded. «I fear it is so. We had an incident a few minutes ago in the woods. A subtle influence none of us felt immediately. Skyler tried to follow the path back to the sender, but they realized she was on to them and shut down. But they now have a direct path to her.»

«The other women?» Darius was already checking with and warning Desari and Julian, Dayan and Corrine and lastly, Barack and Syndil. Each responded with a quick touch to assure him there was no threat to them at the moment and they understood to be careful and alert.

«There have been no other incidents and I have sent men ahead to the inn to ferret out any enemies, but we must be vigilant at all times and keep our women and children close and protected.»

Like you all don't already do that? Great, he's just giving you more ammunition to be

bossy.

Darius ignored her. «The child-Skyler. Is she safe? Gabriel and Lucian are my brothers by blood. Skyler is blood kin.»

«We will all see to her safety. You probably don't remember Dimitri-he was much older than you-but he's returned from Russia and is Skyler's lifemate. It is a complication we did not expect.»

«Gabriel is protective of her.»

«Yes, he is-as he should be. She is invaluable to us.» Mikhail leaned toward him. «I know you have been talking with Gregori, Francesca and Shea about how you kept the other children alive after the massacre. They were only babies. You were merely six years old.»

«Unfortunately, I do not remember very much. It was centuries ago. We were on another continent, in an unfamiliar world. I did not remember much of my homeland other than the war and the massacre. I inadvertently instilled a fear in the others of these mountains and we avoided the area completely.»

Mikhail nodded. «It is understandable, but perhaps you do not realize the miracle you achieved. The greatest minds, our most talented healers, are not able to do what you have done. In order for our species to survive, we must find the answers to why our women miscarry. Why so many of our infants die in their first year. And why we have such a high percentage of male over female births.»

Tempest gasped and went completely pale. «Darius?» She framed his face with her hands, forcing him to meet her terrified gaze. «Is this true? Did you know this?»

«Yes.» Lifemates did not lie to one another.

«Miscarriages? The child dies in the first year?» She refused to look away from him– refused to allow him to look away from her. «You knew this all along?»

«Our race is dying,» Darius said. «We have too few women and even fewer children.»

«But you said…» She trailed off, dropping her hands as if touching his skin scorched her. «You should have told me this immediately.»

«What good would it have done? The decision is made for us. Our child grows within your body. We have already created a life. There is no alternative for me but to ensure the child survives. I refuse to consider any other possibility.» His voice was mild, his face carved of stone. His black-black eyes never left hers.

«You should have told me,» she repeated.

«Several of our women have been successful in carrying babies,» Mikhail said, standing. «There is always hope. Especially now. I will need to discuss this further with you, Darius,» he added.

Darius continued to hold Tempest's gaze. «Yes, of course. I am at your disposal.» He waited until the prince left before he tunneled his hand in the mass of bright red hair. «We will not lose our child.»

«Because you decree it?»

«If that is what it takes. My will is unyielding. I did not lose Desari, or Syndil or Barack or Dayan. They live because I decreed it-because I fought for their lives and used every ounce of will and skill I possessed to ensure their survival. Do not think I would do less for my own child-for our child.»

«That's why they all have such confidence in you-why they expect so much of you. Without you they would have all died.»

It was the simple truth. He had been six, but already, the Daratrazanoff blood was strong in him and his will grew and grew until he refused to allow defeat into his mind no matter the odds.

«I didn't think I wanted to have a baby, Darius. Now, when I think I may lose it, I know I want it desperately. Shea must be so frightened. She's close to labor. If I were her, I would not want to allow the baby to leave the safety of my body.»

«She has Jacques to keep them both safe, Tempest. You have me.»

Tempest slid onto his lap, laying her head against his chest. «Then I'm not going to worry.»

He kissed her gently, lovingly. «I will believe that when I see it.»

«For that, you can bake the pies.»

«Pies?»

«The gooey purple stuff. You said you would do anything for me and I need those pies baked.»

«You think I cannot do it.»

«I think it will be very funny to watch you try.» She leaned in for another kiss, laughter beginning to bubble up.

Chapter 7

Barack, in the form of an owl, circled the house he was occupying with Syndil. There didn't appear to be a disturbance, but his heart was still in his throat. Something didn't feel right. He reached out to her on their private, very intimate telepathic band, but she didn't respond. He felt her presence, felt her focus-her entire concentration elsewhere-a good sign as Syndil would have been broadcasting waves of fear had she been frightened.

He dropped down fast, shapeshifting as he plummeted, and he hit the porch nearly sprinting, needing to see her. She was still so emotionally fragile and their relationship was very tentative at times. She had a tendency to retreat even from him. Ever since the brutal attack by Savon, a trusted family member who had turned vampire, she'd had problems with trust and especially intimacy.

«Syndil!» he called out to her, striding quickly through the small cabin.

There was no answer, only the sound of his own heart thundering in his ears. He inhaled sharply, scented the two leopards and… He stilled, fighting for calm. He inhaled again. Blood. Not just any blood-Syndil's blood.

He shoved open the door to the bedroom to find the two large cats, Sasha and Forest, curled on the bed. They both raised their heads and gave him a long, slow appraisal. Sasha bared her teeth while Forest openly snarled.

Barack's heart jumped. The leopards always traveled with the band and never acted aggressive toward any member of the band, not even when they were in a bad temper.

He snarled back at them, closed the door and whirled around, racing back out into the night. He inhaled again and found her scent-the direction she'd taken. At once he shifted on the run, taking to the air to move more swiftly, his heart pounding in fear for her. He followed her scent through the forest until he came upon a clearing of scorched ground. A terrible battle had been fought here. Trees were bent and twisted, leaves shriveled, and in places the ground was scarred from the acid burn of the unholiest of creatures-the undead. He caught sight of her and his breath stilled in his lungs.

Barack watched the woman kneeling on the blackened ground, her arms spread wide, palms hovering just above the earth. Snow fell softly over her, coating her hair and clothes so that she appeared to sparkle. From his angle he could see the concentration on her face, her eyes closed, long lashes forming two thick crescents. She appeared serene, her entire energy focused on her task. She looked beautiful-a little fey, her black hair gleaming beneath the coating of snow, flakes on her long lashes and her sinfully perfect mouth whispering a crooning song of hope and encouragement to the barren land.

He stood, his heart pounding in his chest, the terror of not finding her safe in their home receding while love stormed in to fill every part of his heart and soul until there was no longer room for any other emotion. Syndil. His lifemate. Of course she would be healing the earth. She would have heard it moaning in pain, the evil spreading slowly through the soil, poisoning and burning every living thing. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever

seen-could ever imagine. Beneath her hands, green grass sprang up through the snow. Small shrubs and trees pushed their way to the surface as she sang softly, coaxing growth.

Desari, with her pure, incredible voice, could bring peace to people. With just her voice she could wrap an audience in satin sheets and candlelight, and make them remember old loves and tarnished hopes. Syndil's voice also held great power, but hers was bound to the earth. Scarred and damaged lands called to her. She could never ignore their summons. Few could hear the screams and cries as she did, and even fewer could heal where blisters and lesions lay raw upon the land.

Syndil astonished him with her power. He watched as she shifted left, then right, moving up the slope, touching a badly damaged tree, enticing new growth, expunging the hideous results the undead had left behind in the soil. She stood and turned toward the small creek– the water no longer running, but standing still even though the creek bed was filled to capacity. Dark brownish-red stains covered the surface of the water, and tentacles spread out from a discolored gelatin-like ball altered the composition of the water. Thousands of tiny white parasites made up the round globe, and many used the tentacles as tiny arteries and veins moving out away from where the rest congealed in a large mass.

Lifting her hands, Syndil began to sing, oblivious to Barack's presence, her entire focus on the damage to the land. He always knew the moment she was near, yet she hadn't the slightest idea her lifemate was close by. It should have upset him, but he couldn't help the surge of pride in her. Whenever she committed to healing the earth, she was totally, unswervingly focused, often expending far more energy than she could afford. Just as a healer of people was left drained and swaying with weariness, so was Syndil when she healed the earth.

Her voice swelled with power, and the parasites writhed as if in pain. The jellied mass shook ominously. Barack moved into a better position to defend his lifemate. The air reeked, the smell so noxious, in spite of the falling snow, the foul odor nearly gagged him. Barack inched closer to peer at the congealed mass. The creatures looked almost like maggots, but much smaller. The stench of evil permeated the entire area.

He looked around him, quartering the area with every one of his senses, scanning for signs of an enemy. Was this the aftermath of the vampires who had died here during the attempted assassination of the prince? Or was it another, much newer threat? He stepped closer to Syndil, stretching out his hand to her, but as her voice filled the night with her strength, the small parasites began to explode, much like popcorn, leaping out of the jelly ball in an effort to get away from her voice. Once in the exposed air, they burst.

Barack's hand fell to his side. He looked at the trees, twisted, bent and blackened, the sap oozing out of numerous lesions, congealed with the same brown-red gel. Parasites bubbled up from half-a-dozen trees to drop lifeless to the ground. Barack waved his hand toward the sky. At once the wind picked up and the air charged, crackling and snapping. A whip of lightning flicked across the layer of carcasses in the snow, turning them instantly to black ash. With a howl of fury, the wind scattered the remains in all directions while the snow

rained down and once more covered the earth with a pristine white blanket.

For the first time, Syndil turned her head, her large, dark eyes soft-almost liquid. A ghost of a smile curved her mouth, drawing his attention to the beautiful shape of her lips, and his heart clenched, a vise squeezing hard enough to hurt. All those years he had spent with her, never once realizing she had been driving his need for sex. Never once had he looked at her any way other than as a foster sister, yet all along she had kept his emotions safeguarded. It was no wonder that not once had he been satisfied with another woman. It had become laughable over the centuries, the terrible need clawing at him until he thought he might go insane if he didn't touch a woman's skin, bury his body deep within hers. There had been so many willing, yet he was trapped in some kind of mindless torment, needing them-yet none could fulfill his desires.

At times, Syndil still felt he had betrayed her, but at last he understood the endless cycle that had been happening to him. Looking at her, inhaling her scent, the brush of her hair or fingers turned his body into a hard painful ache that only she could assuage. He'd had a hard-on for so many years he could no longer count, and looking at her only made it happen all over again. Only now she was his-a gentle, sexy woman he didn't deserve, but who somehow managed to love him all the same.

«What are you thinking about, Barack? You look sad.»

One did not lie to one's lifemate. In any case, she had only to touch his mind to know. «I remember the precise moment I realized that it was you arousing my body to such a painful ache. You stood by a stream brushing out your long hair. I found myself fascinated with every stroke of the brush and wishing I could feel your hair against my bare skin. I wanted to lose myself in all that silk, and I knew you had been the one I wanted all along-it was you I'd been searching for among so many women.»

«How long ago was that?»

«We were in France.»

«That was fifty years ago.»

He nodded. «I thought what I felt was wrong. We were children together, a family. It seemed-distasteful. I was afraid I was tainted in some way. I would watch you after that; every move you made seemed sensual, seductive. And I hated the men watching you– coming close to you.»

«But you still went off with other women.»

He shook his head. «I kept up the illusion, but I already had had too many unfulfilled nights. What was the use? Other women no longer drew me once I figured out what was happening.»

«I saw you.» There was pain in her voice, and it made him wince.

«You saw me flirt and walk off. I took blood and left them with false memories. The nights were torment, Syndil. Sometimes I thought I was in hell.» He reached out his hand to her. «I had a terrible secret and I could never share with anyone. I lusted after you to the point that I could not let you get too close to me. I was always afraid someone would discover the way I felt about you. At the time I would have given anything that it was just lust, easily satisfied. It was so much more-is so much more.»

«Why didn't you tell me?»

«A Carpathian male should always-always be in control of himself. We wield too much power to be ruled by anything but our brains. I could not control my body or my thoughts when I was close to you.» He ran his fingers through his hair. «I know everything about you, Syndil. The way you tilt your head just slightly when you're considering whether or not you are going to participate in a conversation. You tug on your left earlobe when you are worried. You have the most beautiful smile I've ever seen. I know you're so fragile and yet at the same time, you are incredibly strong.»

A slow smile chased the worried frown from his face. «I always walk behind you to the stage so later, when I'm alone, I can feel the sway of your hips and the brush of your hair.»

«You never told me this.»

He rubbed his lower jaw. «It is a little humiliating to admit I have been obsessed with you. And when I knew I couldn't take it anymore, that I had to admit the truth, even if it meant leaving our family, you were attacked by Savon, our trusted brother.»

Syndil glanced away from him, back toward the stream. The water ran cold and clean, all traces of the poison gone. Barack followed her gaze and as always, when he saw the result of her work, it left him feeling humble and proud of her.

«Syndil, there is no one in this world who can do as you've done. Do you have any idea how amazing you are?»

She looked out over the blackened ruins of the battle-scarred land. «There is much to be done here. Our enemies left their poison in the ground to work its way beneath the soil where we rest. If they can turn the earth against us, they have won.»

Barack's head went up alertly. She sounded so weary. The energy needed to heal large sections of land destroyed by fire or foul vampire magic was enormous, and he had very little idea of the toll it would take on her to heal what the undead had wrought here with the size of such devastation. She looked pale, her eyes almost too large for her face. She pressed her hands to her chest as if her heart ached. «Syndil.» He reached out his hand to her. «Come here to me.»

He waited. His heart beating, a small part of him praying she would step forward, eager for his touch, for his aid, but as always, there was that tiny, brief moment of hesitation, the

wariness in her eyes, the shadow in her mind she could no longer hide from him. She crossed the distance to him, reaching out. His fingers closed around hers, and he drew her with exquisite gentleness to him. In spite of the fact that Carpathians could regulate body temperature, she was cold, shivering a little. He enfolded her in his arms, shielding her from the snow with his larger frame and using his own body heat and energy to warm her. He drew her scent into his lungs and smelled blood.

«What happened?» His drew her arm down so he could look at it.

She frowned, her body losing some of its stiffness to sink more fully into his. «Sasha and Forest were lying with me on the bed, sweet as usual, and then Sasha began to get agitated. Within minutes, Forest followed suit. They began pacing back and forth, sending out distress calls. I scanned, but the most I could do was feel a hint of power in the air. Not good or evil, simply power.»

«That does not explain these scratches, Syndil. They are deep.» He bent his head to her bare arm, his lips feathering kisses up and down the lacerations, tongue swirling over the wounds, taking away the pain with his healing saliva. He kissed her arm again and raised his head, one hand cupping her chin so she couldn't look away from the censure in his eyes. «You should have called me immediately. Your well-being comes before all else.»

«There was nothing to tell you. With so many Carpathians gathered in one place, there is bound to be power in the air at all times. I just assumed the leopards were reacting to the different feel. They're used to us, but not to the others. They were fine with me until I tried to leave the room. I'm sorry. It's just that I couldn't think of anything else but taking care of this.» She swept her hand in a graceful arc to take in the blackened land. «I had been hearing the screaming of the earth since I awoke, and I could no longer ignore the call. I knew it would be difficult and draining, but I didn't expect…» She broke off and looked over his shoulder at the huge area destroyed by the battle with the undead. «It's so large, Barack, so much damage.»

There were tears in her voice-in her mind. «You're just tired, sweetheart. You need to feed.» There was both sensual invitation and dominant command in his voice.

He tried hard to suppress the rougher side of his nature as much as possible, particularly when it came to anything sexual with Syndil. She was with him-and that was the most important thing in the world to him. Whatever time she needed to develop trust in him– years, centuries, perhaps longer-it mattered little. She could have all the time she needed; he just had to control the dominant nature so prevalent in the males of his species. He wouldn't risk ruining the fragile trust developing between them.

He opened his shirt with a single thought, and Syndil turned her face to press against his chest. The rub of her soft skin against his, the feel of her lips moving just above his heart, her hair brushing over him like silk, all sent urgent need slamming hard to pool in his groin in a painful ache. His fingers tangled in her hair and he cradled her head in his arm, his body clenching in anticipation. There was a heartbeat-two. She kissed his chest, teased

with her tongue, scraped once, twice with her teeth. His heart went into overtime. His body hardened more, jerked with eagerness.

Syndil's teeth sank deep, the pain giving way to instant pleasure, his body flooding with ecstasy. He shifted to rock his hips against her. It only inflamed his senses more. Syndil unexpectedly-and for the first time without his prompting-merged her mind with his, feeding him her own sexual desires, the flare of heat, her blood running hot, the erotic pictures of her leaning over him, hair cascading down to pool on his skin while she…

Barack groaned aloud. You cannot do that to me and not expect reprisals.

Her laughter was low and sensual-a definite invitation. He closed his eyes, savoring her response to him-the acknowledgment of her need for him. He simply lifted her, cradling her to his chest while she fed, and took to the air.

Syndil licked his chest, closing the tiny pinpricks, and lifted her mouth to his neck. Her hands slid inside his open shirt. «Where are you going in such a hurry?» she murmured against his skin. «I have always wanted to make love in the snow. What's the use of being able to control our temperatures if we can't utilize it for our enjoyment?»

Barack didn't care where they were. If she wanted snow, there was a perfectly good spot he could see that looked somewhat protected from the elements. He dropped down fast, his mouth already on hers, fire flaring between them. His need of her was always hot– shattering-yet he kept his hands gentle and his aggression controlled, not wanting to frighten her. She panicked when she was beneath him, and never once had he assumed a dominant sexual position.

She pushed his shirt aside, shoving it down his arms as if she was in such a frenzy to get to his skin that she'd forgotten she could brush the offensive material away with her mind. He watched the rising desire on her face, the burning intensity in her eyes, as she spread kisses across his chest, up to his throat, caught his mouth with hers and returned to his chest with teasing bites.

Never had she acted this way toward him, and he couldn't stop his body's response, his own desire building faster and hotter than ever before. Syndil wanting him, initiating their lovemaking, was more of an aphrodisiac than anything else could ever be. She'd never shown a hint of the same urgent need he always felt when he touched her.

Of course I feel it. Her teeth tugged at his ear. Her tongue swirled and played and danced over his skin. I just don't know how to show you properly.

Was there a touch of shame in her voice? He hoped not; she had nothing to be ashamed of. He would spend eternity trying to take away the betrayal and memory of Savon raping her-and there was a part of him that would never forgive himself for not being there to protect her.

You show me just fine. He put all the fierce love he had for her into his voice, his hands coming up to tangle in her impossibly long hair. She always wore part of it up, and he loosened the pins to let it all fall free. Her hair was so sensual, and right now, with her mouth doing sinful things to his body, he craved the warm silk of her hair spilling over him. He didn't want her to ever stop, but he needed her clothes gone.

Then take them off.

He smiled at the impatience in her voice. He always asked permission so as not to alarm her, but maybe-hopefully-they were past that now. He waved his hand and she stood before him, stark naked except for her long hair, a silken cloak to frame her soft skin and luscious body. As always, when he looked at her, his heart pounded, his lungs seized, and he felt tears burning in his throat. No one would ever be more beautiful to him.

She lifted her head as she followed suit and whisked off his trousers and shoes, leaving him naked in the snow and starkly aroused. «I want to be past that now,» she whispered. «I love you so much, Barack, and I need to be able to show you. More than that, I need for you to show me. I know you have to hold back and I don't want that for you-for us– anymore.» Her fingers whispered over his thickened shaft and his breath left his lungs in a heated rush. «I just have never wanted to start something I couldn't finish.» She kissed her way down his belly, her hands caressing and stroking until he was afraid he might go out of his mind. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?

I always understand you, my love. There is no need to warn me. He was proud of her for her boldness, but he feared he might not make it through this night. She was reading his mind, feeling the fire building in his groin as she wrapped her fist around his heavy erection and bent her head to breathe warm air over him.

She was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen, her body perfect, breasts full and ripe, her long black hair a stark contrast to the white snow. When he saw her intention, the erotic image in her mind, his body hardened even more. He waved his hand and the sky rained rose petals alongside the drifting snow. «Sweetheart, you don't have to do this.»

But she did. She wanted it nearly as much as he did-he could see it on her face. Just once, he wanted her like this-enjoying him. Wanting his body as much as he wanted hers. No, more than that. Needing him in the way he needed her. Desperate to touch him, to taste him, to feel his body moving in hers, his heart beating the same rhythm as hers. Just once. Mostly he needed to see the dark hunger in her eyes, feel it in every touch of her hands. He needed to see eagerness and enjoyment when she looked at him. Just this once-that was all he would ask for.

He closed his eyes briefly as her fingertips trailed lightly over his shaft, sending small electrical charges whipping through his bloodstream. She looked up at him and smiled as her tongue slid over the broad head in a curling dance that took his senses to an entirely new level. A soft growl escaped when she raked her fingernails along the inside of his thigh. Before he could stop himself, he reached out and tangled his fingers in her silky hair,

gently pushing it over her shoulders. Looking down at her kneeling before him, with that small, mysterious half smile on her face and that too-hot look in her eyes, nearly was his undoing.

He kneaded her shoulders for a moment, eased the tension from the nape of her neck and then slid his palms over her soft skin to her breasts-all the while breathing deep to stay in control. His thumbs found her nipples, brushing them into hard peaks, his caresses drawing a gasp of pleasure from her. His hands cupped her breasts, fingers stroking and caressing with an expertise of knowing her body so well.

Syndil cried out with pleasure as the sensations swamped her. As always, with one touch of his hands, she was on fire. She knew he could shatter her, bring her to a fever pitch with just the strong pull of his mouth or the scrape of his teeth. He knew everything about her body, every way to bring her pleasure, and he always did-unselfishly and wholeheartedly. He always put her pleasure before his own. It wasn't fair. She desperately wanted to bring him to that same fever pitch, sweep him away on a tidal wave of passion, bring him the kind of ecstasy he always brought her.

Her fingers tangled in his hair. His mouth and stroking hands sent vibrations humming through her bloodstream and quickening her pulse. Her womb clenched, and she felt the familiar urgent need gathering deep in her core. She forced herself back in control, her fist closing over the silky-hard length of his erection, deliberately sending warm air over him to distract him.

His breath caught in his throat and he straightened, throwing his head back when her mouth closed over him, tongue sliding and curling as all the while she kept the suction tight. He rewarded her with a groan, thickening even more.

Pleasure flashed through her. She kept her mind firmly merged in his, reading his every thought, every image, making adjustments to push his pleasure higher, until his hands gripped her hair, his hips thrust helplessly and guttural sounds escaped his throat.

She felt his body tighten, the rush of fire spreading from his toes through his body straight to his groin. She took him deeper, finding the perfect rhythm so that he shuddered and muttered an expletive she'd never heard him use.

«You're killing me,» he whispered hoarsely.

In a good way, Syndil knew. Her entire body reacted to the knowledge that she was pushing Barack to the very edge of his control. She wanted to shatter it, to do to him what he did to her. The power felt incredible, and the satisfaction even more so. She was almost euphoric with happiness, kissing her way up his belly to his chest, his throat, urging him over the top of her, so frantic to have him buried deep inside her she couldn't think of anything but pleasing him-pleasing herself.

She fell back into the rose petal-covered snow, dragging him with her. Skin pressed to

skin, hearts beat the same rhythm. She felt his weight settle over hers, his hands hard on her hips, his knee nudging her thighs apart. He thrust hard, entering her body, joining them together in one fiercely primitive stroke. Her nails dug into his shoulders. Lightning streaked through her body, and she cried out with drowning pleasure.

He moved in her, hard, sure strokes, filling her emptiness until she felt as if she were soaring free. His hair slid over her skin, a sensuous silk brushing her already hypersensitive breasts. Her body tightened, muscles clenching and gripping as her hips rose to meet the fast rhythm of his. She moved slightly, adjusting her position, and his hands gripped her hard, holding her down.

At once she was aware of her surroundings, of the man on top of her. Syndil looked up at the face, almost savage in his desire, red flames flickering in the depths of his black eyes. She could see his teeth, already lengthened, the muscles clearly defined in his arms.

Syndil tried desperately to hold onto the passion that seemed to always be locked away inside her. It poured out on occasion, but somewhere, somehow, just when she thought she had conquered her fears, a door slammed shut and dammed up her needs, her physical desires, behind a wall of terror. She fought it, fought the rising panic and the memory of teeth biting at her, of brutal hands hurting her, of something obscene and unnatural ripping through her, taking her virginity without love or thought for her innocence. He had been family, a loved one, yet he had attacked her, nearly tearing out her throat, beating her, raping her in every way possible. She had fought until the bones in her hands were broken and her flesh was saturated with blood and she thought he would kill her.

This wasn't Savon, her attacker, this was Barack, the man she loved above all others, yet she couldn't separate the two when Barack covered her body with his and held her down. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't hear him trying to soothe her. She could only feel the weight of him crushing her, feel the grip of his hands, see the glow of red flames in his eyes.

«Stop.» She whispered the word, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Her throat swelled, threatening to choke her. «Stop. Oh, God, Barack, you have to stop.» Her voice swung toward hysteria as her control shattered, her mind seemed to fragment and she couldn't distinguish past from present. She began to fight him, hitting hard, clawing at his face, pushing at his chest.

She drew blood before he caught her wrists, shaking her head back and forth to avoid his mouth when he bent close. He whispered something to her, but she couldn't hear him, caught up in the deadly illusion she couldn't seem to escape.

Barack groaned and rolled off her, to lie faceup in the snow, staring at the flakes as they fell from the sky. He slung one arm across his eyes to hide his expression, shielding his mind so she couldn't see the anguish and frustration filling him. He wanted to roar with rage to the heavens, but he stayed silent, struggling to bring his body under control. He heard her choke back a sob, and turned his head toward her.

Tear sparkled like diamonds in her eyes, trailed down her face to drop into the snow-covered ground. «I'm sorry, Barack. I'm sorry. What's wrong with me?» She covered her face with her hands and wept as if her heart were breaking.

«Syndil, there's nothing wrong with you.» Barack came up on his knees and reached for her, keeping his movements slow and gentle. «Come here to me, baby, let me hold you.»

She could see the scratches on his face and chest, down one forearm, even a long thin scratch on his hip. Tiny drops of blood beaded up, crisscrossing his skin so that he looked as if he'd been attacked by a cat.

«What have I done?» Ashamed, she tried to struggle, to break his grip on her arm. «I have to go away. We can't keep doing this. Let me go, Barack. I'll go back to leopard form and stay in the earth until this passes.»

«I don't want to hear that. You aren't leaving me. You have a duty to your lifemate, and it isn't sex. You stay aboveground, with me, in your natural form, do you hear me, Syndil? I expect nothing less of you.» This time he didn't hide the Carpathian male. He made it a command, and bared his white teeth to emphasize he meant business.

«Why? Why would you even want me? I can't keep doing this to you and live with myself. How long is your patience going to last? How long before you turn to another woman for the things I can't give you?»

«Another woman?» he echoed, so shocked at the suggestion it showed on his face. «Syndil, you aren't making sense. There is no other woman for me. What aren't you giving me? I make love to you all the time.»

«You make love to me. I should be loving you back.»

«You do love me back.» He raked a hand through his dark hair, clearly agitated. «So you have a small problem with one position. One. Do you think it matters to me?»

She didn't respond, simply shook her head, covering her face tightly with both hands. Tears leaked out and her shoulders heaved as she fought for breath through the sobs.

«Syndil, I love you. You're my life. We have years, centuries to get this right. You matter to me, not sex.» He gave her a little shake. «Look at me, Syndil. If you never can let me lie over the top of you, so be it. Why is it so important to you? You don't see that image in my mind. It doesn't matter to me what position we make love in, not now, nor will it ever. Damn it, look at me.»

He caught her hands and pulled them from her face, staring into her eyes. «I love you more than life itself. So we can't make love with me on top. Is that some sort of red badge of courage to force yourself into a position you feel threatened in? Do you honestly, for one moment, think what position we have sex in is important to me?»

«It is to me,» she whispered, ducking her head. «I'm so ashamed I can't love my lifemate the way he deserves. I can heal the earth after the worst of battles, but I can't heal myself. I can't be a decent mate to you. I try so hard, Barack, I really want you. I love the way you make me feel as if I'm the only woman in the world, as if no one else could ever please you, but I can't do it. I can't.»

He swept his arm around her head and dragged her against him. «You're an idiot, Syndil. You love me and that is all that matters. The rest of this is just silliness. I'd make love to you standing on my head if that was how you wanted me.» He caught her chin and forced her head up. «Do you really think I can't look into your mind and see how much you love me?»

«But you have to suppress your own nature all the time, Barack.»

He burst out laughing. «Being a dominant, overbearing male isn't always best, Syndil. Don't you think Darius has to occasionally suppress that side of him for Tempest, and that she might wish he'd do it a little more? And Julian definitely has to work at it for Desari. The same with Dayan and Corinne. It's our nature to be in command, but you are the light to our darkness. Unrelenting dominance has to be balanced by you.»

«But you were never like Darius, Barack. You get bossy, but…» She trailed off, but there was hope in her eyes when she framed his face with her hands.

«Because all of us allow Darius to lead us does not mean we do not have these natural traits. You didn't see them in me before because we did not share minds. Darius is a strong leader. We are content in his leadership.» A small grin flashed briefly on his face. «He does most of the work, and that suits me just fine. But in the end, we all have the traits nature dictated to us. The point, my beautiful love, is that you, as my lifemate, bring me balance.»

«I do?»

He bent his head to press a small kiss over each eyelid. «You do,» he assured her. He trailed kisses down her face to the corner of her mouth. «And I am grateful. Darkness spreads and we have to fight it every day.»

«But it wasn't in you-not like the others,» Syndil said.

«Because of you. Even before I made my claim on you, you were already providing a balance for me. Syndil, you aren't just my lifemate. You're my life, my only love, my world. I have known you since you were a babe, I watched you grow into a remarkable, talented, unbelievable woman. Look at what you do with the earth. Who else can work such a miracle?» He kissed the tip of her nose, feathered his lips over hers and slid his tongue along the seam of her mouth. «I was in love with you long before I ever knew what a lifemate was.»

«Are you sure, Barack?» There were still tears gleaming in her eyes, but her lips moved

against his. «You have to be sure.»

«That is the only thing I'm sure of.» His mouth found hers and he lifted her gently, settling her over his lap, waiting for her to settle over him like a sheath over a sword.

Syndil's breath caught in her throat. He filled her, fit so snug, so exquisitely tight that the silky friction sent fire dancing once again through her veins. One moment she was in tears, the next he was lifting her toward the heavens. She linked her fingers behind his neck and eased back, her body moving in a familiar rhythm as she began to ride him. She couldn't imagine how she had gotten through her life without him. He made her feel beautiful and extraordinary when she was certain she really wasn't.

«I love you, Barack.» She pulled back to look into his eyes. «I really love you.»

The sight of her took his breath. Her full breasts swayed sensually, her nipples peaked and hard in sexy invitation. Her small waist and hips undulated, eyes slumberous, mouth swollen from his kisses.

«I know you do,» he murmured, and brushed a kiss across each eyelid. He could barely speak with the sizzling heat rising so fast, so ferociously, with every bit of pleasure that more dominant position had given him. Deliberately he shared his mind, shared what she did to his body as well as his heart. «You're my life, Syndil, and I don't want you forgetting it again.»

She moved with him, a counterpoint to each thrust, driving their pleasure ever higher. Barack was her world and his acceptance of her meant everything. Maybe she couldn't lie beneath his body, but she could enjoy other sensually arousing positions and she could make the most of each and every one of them.

Barack's arms tightened possessively and a small thrill went through him that she didn't protest, or pull away. Her muscles clamped around him, squeezing like a fist, so slick and hot and tight that he couldn't hold on a second longer. He threw back his head and yelled to the night in joy, feeling her body ripple with pleasure around his. For a while neither could breathe properly, or even speak-just feel.

Barack recovered first, kissing the top of her head, her ears and finally her soft mouth. «I love you, Syndil.»

«I'm beginning to believe you really do,» she said softly as she rose with her usual grace. She held out her hand and he stood beside her, a tall, strong man who loved her enough to give her space and time.

Dressing in the easy manner of their people, they strolled, hand in hand, back through the snow to the little cabin. It looked inviting, cozy even, and Syndil picked up the pace, drawing him with her. «You will help me cook something, won't you? Corinne assured me the recipe she gave me was easy and fast.»

«I have my doubts about that,» he teased, «but I'm willing to try.»

As they walked up the narrow path to the cabin, the smile faded from his face. Barack frowned and took a careful look around, the back of his neck suddenly itching with unease. He paused before pushing opening the door to the small cabin, sweeping Syndil behind him with one arm. «I don't like the feel of this. The silence.»

«It's snowing. It's always quiet when it snows.»

«Maybe.» But something was wrong. A whisper of movement from inside had him closing the door firmly and pushing her away from the cabin. «Get to safety, Syndil. Hide yourself in the trees while I figure out what's wrong.»

«Are the cats all right?» she asked anxiously.

«I'm about to find out.»

She caught the waistband of his jeans, curling her fingers around the edge. «I'll be afraid out here alone. Let me go in with you. Even if something waits there, I'd rather be with you and know what's going on.»

He cursed under his breath for being weak. He could deny her nothing when she was afraid. «Stay behind me, Syndil, and do exactly what I say.»

She nodded and moved closer. «Does it feel like a vampire?»

He shook his head. It felt like danger-trouble-something out of sync.

«Not in harmony,» Syndil said suddenly, going very still. Her grip tightened on his jeans. «In the house. The cats. I reached for them and they are-crazy.»

He turned back to her, pulling her close to reassure her. «It's all right, honey.» He felt the leopards prowling within the walls of the cabin, enraged for some reason he couldn't fathom. He tried to reach out to them as he'd been doing since they were young, to calm them, but neither responded. He had to get them into their cage, both for their safety and the safety of any person coming in contact with them, until he could figure out what was wrong.

He slipped inside beneath the door, streaming in as vapor, swirling through the rooms until he found the cats, very conscious that Syndil was right behind him in the same form.

Forest, the male, lay stretched out on a bed, while Sasha, the female, paced back and forth restlessly. The moment he entered the bedroom, Sasha reacted, snarling, showing her teeth, tail twitching as she paced, her eyes darting around the room as she detected his presence. Forest launched his body from the couch, going from a prone position to a full-out attack, claws raking through the insubstantial vapor in an effort to get at Barack.

He streamed away, out of reach, trying to push the cat's mind back toward sanity. Leopards were notorious for their tempers, but this savage behavior was way out of character for either cat. The leopards had been with the Troubadours since they were born and had never behaved in such a manner. Sasha kept looking at the window, acting as though she might break through the glass to escape.

Something is terribly wrong with them, he told Syndil. I can't control them.

Syndil remained silent, listening to the earth. There is a subtle flow of power-of energy. It's upsetting the leopards. There are so many Carpathians here. Most are probably using energy for shifting and other tasks. Maybe the cats are too sensitive to be here.

Maybe. Barack doubted it, but he was going to cage the animals. I'm going to get them to follow me to the cages. I cant direct them inside, so I'll have to trick them.

How can you do that? There was trepidation in her voice.

I'll just use myself as bait.

Syndil drew in her breath sharply, fighting back the protest welling up. I was afraid of that. Be careful, Barack.

He touched her mentally, his vapor circling hers for just a moment as if he could brush up against her in reassurance. Barack shimmered into his human form right under the female's nose, shifting back almost immediately and streaming through the house, leading the cats to the smallest bedroom, where the heavily barred traveling cage was kept.

He reached out to open the door of the cage, shifting for just seconds so he could use his hand. Forest leapt, raking Barack's arm, tearing deep gouges in his skin before Barack could shift back to mist. He streamed toward the back of the cage, leading the two leopards inside. They followed, raging at him.

Behind them, he waved the door closed. Both threw themselves at the bars, snarling a protest. Barack didn't wait for them to settle down, sending word to Darius and the other band members before taking his natural form.

Syndil was already reaching for him, stroking her fingers down his arm, leaning into him to use her saliva to heal the wounds. «You need to be faster,» she told him, her large eyes chastising him.

A slow smile lit his dark gaze. «I don't know, sweetheart. Then I wouldn't have your sexy little mouth all over me, now would I?»

Her eyebrow shot up. «Actually, yes, you probably would.»

Chapter 8

Mikhail flew low over the forest, making several passes, quartering the region in an effort to ferret out any danger that might be lurking to harm his people. He touched Raven's mind often, could feel her happiness as she prepared whatever dish she was making for the celebration dinner. He had had no idea she missed cooking, and it shamed him. He had been her lifemate for years, yet he still was discovering things about her. She enjoyed the preparation of a meal, the presentation, the pleasure others received from it.

He felt the mental brush of her fingers over his skin. Felt her smile, the warmth in her eyes.

Yes, I do enjoy cooking for others, but it certainly is nothing I need in my life-as you are. My life is full, Mikhail, and I have no regrets.

Her voice filled his mind with love, kept even the memories of the terrible, haunting loneliness at bay. No Carpathian male who had lost emotion and the ability to see in color and then had it all restored by finding his lifemate would ever give her up. At that moment, he ached inside with love for her. It helped ease the terrible burden of knowing that some of the unattached warriors who had returned for the celebration, men of honor and integrity, would eventually lose their battle with darkness.

You are worried about Dimitri.

I feel-uneasy. There is trouble in the wind, but I cannot find it. Dimitri does concern me. None of us can forget the loneliness we felt before we found our lifemates, but at the same time, we also remember the darkness spreading, taking over, the demon calling for freedom. There was both worry and warning in his voice.

Dimitri will be fine because he has to be. You can only do so much, Mikhail. The others have responsibility too. You did not create the species.

No, but my people were left in my hands and I intend that they flourish. I refuse to allow nature or our enemies or even our own natures to triumph over us.

Raven went silent for a moment, contemplating. You don't believe Carpathians are targeted for extinction simply through a natural process, do you? Because whatever has caused this is not natural.

Mikhail smiled to himself. Raven always fiercely supported him and his people. He brushed mental fingers tenderly down her face as he flew high above the forest and began to drop lower and lower in a wide circle. Snow drifted down, lighter now, but still steady, turning the entire landscape a glistening white. He liked the snow; it always reminded of him of daylight, pushing the night aside briefly so that the world glittered a beautiful silver.

Mikhail flew over the area of blackened ruins, now covered in snow, that had once been some of their richest lands. The battle between the Carpathians and vampires had left the land scarred and damaged. He had noticed lately that more and more after the undead

departed a region, they left behind the beginnings of a barren wasteland that sometimes seemed alive, creeping out to destroy the areas around it. It was one more thing he had to address-and very soon.

Something caught the sharp eyes of the owl, and he dropped lower to skim between the trees to inspect the battleground. In one section, tiny new shoots had pushed through the snow-covered soil. The trees were no longer bent and twisted, but stood proudly, branches raised to the sky. Shocked, Mikhail landed on the ground, shimmering into human form as he did so. Everywhere he looked small green shoots appeared, the stalks healthy and growing thick and wild in spite of the snow. He crouched low to examine the soil. Instead of the toxic mess that had been there, the soil was dark, rich with nutrients-a virtual miracle. The sound of water caught his attention.

Clear. Cold. Clean. Running over rocks once again. He sank down beside the small creek just to listen to the sound of hope. Raven! He couldn't hide the excitement in his voice-the sheer wonder. I remember this from my childhood. He sent her the image. There was a woman in our village. We have forgotten the old ways. We had a society, artisans– craftsmen-scholars as well as healers. Not only did we have healers for our people, but there was a woman. I only saw her once and I was but a young boy. I remember very little, only that green sprang up around her wherever she went and that she was present at all births. Perhaps Lucian can tell me about this art. He and Gabriel are among the most ancient. They might remember.

There was a small hesitation on Raven's part. A healing of the earth?

Shea and Gregori seem to think some of the problems with our women and children start with the soil. If we have a healer of the earth among us, can she not provide our pregnant women a safe haven to rest in? To birth in?

Was this done in the past?

He rubbed his temples trying to reach into his boyhood memories. It was so long ago and even back then, things were already starting to change the ways of their race. He had been a child, but he was certain of seeing the woman. The soil is some of the richest I have ever seen. When I plunge my hands into it, I can feel the difference. He tried to keep his excitement contained.

Who has done this?

I do not know, but I intend to find out.

Mikhail. Raven hesitated. This probably sounds silly, but last evening when quite a few of the ladies got together in the caverns with the pools, we all went swimming, remember? I told you about it.

He did remember vaguely. Some of the women had gathered together in an effort to get

to know one another. You said you had a good time.

We go there often; it's beautiful and the soil as well as the water is rich and rejuvenating, but this time it seemed even more so. I remember thinking how the cavern looked renewed and the soil darker and richer, the water in the pools amazing, but I thought it was just me-that maybe I was just very happy to be with everyone.

And? he prompted hearing her hesitation.

You're going to think I'm crazy, but when I woke tonight and knew I could conceive, my first thought was that I should have stayed out of the water.

His heart jumped in his chest. He reached down to touch one of the budding branches from a young sapling that hadn't been there a few hours earlier. Who was there with you?

Savannah went with me. Desari, Syndil and Tempest were there, and Corrinne and Alexandria. Sara dropped by briefly. What are you thinking?

The impossible. And because he needed to give more thought before voicing hope, he changed the subject. How is your meal coming? He was feeling much better about tonight's celebration. If this gathering resulted in finding a woman who could heal the earth and help protect their pregnant women and infants, giving their healers more time to find answers, he would be eternally grateful-and their species would truly have something to celebrate. And what if-just what if… He hardly dared to hope that the water or the soil had encouraged the women to be able to conceive. He didn't dare hope, but it was there anyway for the first time in a long while, refusing to be suppressed.

Better than fine now. Christmas always seems to bring miracles. We just have to look for them. Find this person, Mikhail. If she can do what you say, she is more valuable than any of us realize.

Mikhail took to the air once again, his heart pounding in his chest. Far below him, he glimpsed a couple wrapped around one another, oblivious to anything but each other. Once more he quickly scanned the region, needing to ensure the safety of each of his people. Again, although he had that same edgy feeling that kept his alarm system prodding him, he could find nothing that indicated an enemy was setting a trap. He sent a small warning to the male, a slight hint of censure reminding him to keep alert for enemies, and flew on until he found the small remote cabin Lucian had chosen for his stay. Several wolves called a warning as he shifted into natural form and stepped up onto the verandah.

Lucian materialized almost right in front of him, and still, after all the years of power and command weighing on his shoulders, Mikhail felt awed by the man. His black hair flowed down his back, his shoulders were ramrod straight and his eyes blazed with the dark promise of death.

Lucian and Gabriel Daratrazanoff were twins, legends unsurpassed in Carpathian history,

and it showed in the set of Lucian's shoulders and his stern face. Mikhail found Gabriel much more approachable. He always found it humorous that other Carpathians feared Gregori, Mikhail's second in command, best friend and son-in-law, but found his older brothers so approachable when they were at least as dangerous, if not more so.

Lucian gripped his forearms in a warrior's greeting. Gregori's older brother looked fit and strong, his eyes gleaming, piercing through Mikhail straight to his soul as if he could read inside any man.

«It is good to see you again after all this time, Mikhail. You have grown into a powerful leader since I last saw you. Your father would have been proud.»

Mikhail clasped the man's arms, feeling the solid strength there. «You may tell your woman she can put away her weapon now.»

A slow smile warmed the bleak, cold eyes. «She will not be pleased that you spotted her. She is a cop and definitely prides herself on her abilities. Being Carpathian has only added to her skills.»

«I do not actually know where she is,» Mikhail admitted. «Only that she is close by and pointing a weapon at me. I have heard she does not stay home where she belongs.»

A choking sound came from above him and a young woman materialized, a gun in her hand, glaring daggers at Mikhail. «Where she belongs?»

Her hair was the color of platinum and gold, a shorter length than most of the women wore, but attractive, framing her pixie face. Her eyes were dark, a startling contrast to her pale skin and hair.

Lucian casually removed the gun from her hand and leaned over to shove the weapon in her boot. «You cannot shoot the prince, Jaxon. It simply is not done.»

«I wasn't going to shoot him,» she objected, and sent Mikhail a quick, mischievous grin. «At least, not unless he was going to insist that women stay home while the men have all the fun.»

«You call slaying the undead fun?» Mikhail asked.

She shrugged. «If it isn't housework, it's fun. I like action, not sitting at home waiting for my hero.»

«You like to stir up trouble,» Lucian replied, amusement in his velvet voice. «But at least you admit I am your hero.»

Mikhail had forgotten how mesmerizing and powerful a weapon Lucian's voice was. Everything about Lucian seemed to be a combination of «compelling» and «weapon.» The man's face could have been carved from stone, yet his eyes were more alive, more intense

and more lethal than Mikhail had remembered. «It is good to see you again, Lucian. And good that you have found your lifemate.» He sketched a slight bow toward Jaxon. «I could not resist teasing you as I have heard you are fiercely protective of Lucian,» he told her. «We are grateful to you. He is a legend among us.»

«She insists on guarding me,» Lucian said.

«Well, of course I do. Any Carpathian hunter shot by a human after being warned repeatedly to be careful needs a babysitter-um-bodyguard.»

Lucian bent to brush a kiss on top of her head. «No respect.» The deep love on Lucian's face was mirrored on Jaxon's as she teased him.

«I can see that,» Mikhail acknowledged. Somewhere deep inside he felt happiness for this couple-for all the couples-but this one in particular. Lucian had been alone for so long and he'd fought too many battles, sacrificed too much. This small pixie seemed fragile until Mikhail looked into her dark eyes. She had seen too much, was wise beyond her age and had that same strength of will her lifemate possessed.

She flashed a warm smile at Mikhail, even as her fingers tangled with Lucian's. «Thank you for allowing us to use one of your homes. Lucian's home was so far into the mountains we would have spent all of our time flying back and forth and wouldn't have been able to visit.»

«Please come in.» Lucian held open the door, stepping back to allow Mikhail to precede him. «We have much to discuss. I thought, at first, when I heard of the celebration, that it was a foolish indulgence and far too risky, but now I see I was wrong. It has been good to see everyone and to be home once again. I have stayed away far too long and there is a sense of community here once again.»

«I hope we are doing the right thing,» Mikhail agreed as he stepped inside the snug little cabin.

It had been years since he had entered the old house. The walls had been repaired where gaping chinks between the wood had allowed the wind to sweep in. Lucian and Jaxon had fixed the cabin up so that the interior was bright and welcoming. A fire crackled in the old stone fireplace and the furniture was inviting. Lucian waved him toward the couch, and Mikhail seated himself opposite Lucian's chair.

Jaxon hesitated briefly, glancing at the windows, wariness creeping into her expression as she assessed whether anyone could look in and easily see them through the glass.

«I do not actually bite,» Mikhail said, and gestured toward the empty end of the couch he occupied.

Jaxon perched on the arm of Lucian's chair, one foot swinging free. «I'm perfectly comfortable right here, but thank you.»

«She insists on guarding me,» Lucian explained. «Or at least she pretends so. The real reason is she cannot bear to be apart from me.»

The foot swinging free arced just a little more and she drove her toe into his calf.

«I can see that,» Mikhail said dryly. «I am certain Raven is the same way-hating to be apart from me.» He shared the conversation with his lifemate. Immediately, he felt the warmth of her laughter brushing at the walls of his mind. «Before I forget, I thought you might like to know, we need someone to play the part of Santa Claus for the children.»

The smile faded from Lucian's face, leaving his eyes shadowed and wary. He stiffened slightly. Beside him, Jaxon stirred, and he put his hand on her thigh to prevent her from speaking aloud. Do not dare to volunteer me.

You are such a chicken. They are just children.

It is a red suit and beard.

And you'd look so cute and cuddly.

Mikhail put him out of his misery. He sat back in his chair with a little half smile. «I thought my son-in-law would be the best man for the role. As he is your younger brother, tell me what you think.»

Jaxon choked back a squeak that could have been between laughter and horror. She nearly fell off the arm of the chair, only Lucian's steadying hand preventing her from landing on the floor. «You're kidding, right? Gregori would be every bit as bad a choice as Lucian would be. One look at him and the children are going to either run like rabbits or burst into tears.»

Lucian's thumb swept over the back of her hand in a small caress. «Never underestimate a Daratrazanoff, little one. We can rise to any necessary occasion and I am certain Gregori will enjoy the role.» He sent Mikhail a wolfish smile. «Let me know when you are going to tell him what honor is in store for him and I will be happy to accompany you.»

«Oh, you two are just plain bad,» Jaxon said. «You like stirring the pot. Gregori is bound to get you both back, you know.»

A glimmer of a smirk flitted across Mikhail's features and was gone. «It will be well worth it.»

Lucian nodded and reached for his twin, automatically sharing the information. Gabriel responded on their private mental path. Mikhail was here earlier and I could not resist allowing him to give you the news. There was laughter in his voice. I certainly plan on being present when our prince makes his first demand as a father-in-law.

Lucian's fingers tightened around Jaxon's. That small shared moment of amusement, of

love and laughter, was due to his lifemate. He had been without emotion for so long– loving his twin, yet never actually feeling the emotion. Over the centuries the memory had begun to fade and it had been alarming. He had walked in darkness without hope, until she came into his life.

Jaxon leaned down to brush a kiss on the top of his head in a rare public gesture of affection. Even with her stepfather dead, she still couldn't get over the reticence she had developed to protect those she cared about. Lucian was always the one to make the first move, to take her hand, put his arm around her, and her first instinct was always to look around her with wary eyes-stiffen-and pull away. He was slowly getting her over it, and every small demonstration of affection when others were around was a huge step forward.

Lucian rubbed his chin. «I think we should commemorate this event with pictures. It would serve us well in the coming years if we had such a thing documented.»

Mikhail leaned forward slightly, his small smile softening the hard lines in his face. «Surely you are not considering-blackmail.»

«Well, yes, as a matter of fact. We could hold this over his head for centuries.»

«Poor Gregori. It isn't fair to conspire against him this way,» Jaxon objected. She frowned. «Although come to think about it, maybe he does deserve it for being such a male chauvinist.»

Mikhail's eyebrow shot up. «And Lucian isn't?»

Her mischievous smile lit up her eyes again. «He tries desperately, but fortunately he has me to straighten him out.»

«Lucky me,» Lucian said dryly.

She sent her foot swinging against his leg a second time. «You are lucky. I keep telling you, but you keep forgetting.»

Lucian laughed softly. Mikhail had never pictured the warrior laughing and relaxed, and for some reason the sound lifted the burden on his shoulders just a little more. Good things were happening with their species. Maybe it wasn't happening as fast as Mikhail liked, but change was taking place.

«I wanted to ask you about something I barely recall centuries ago. I was just a boy and remember very little.»

«I cannot promise to remember, but I will try.»

«In the old days, there was a woman who lived in the village. I do not even remember her lifemate or if she had one. I was too young to really care about such things. She healed the earth. Do you remember her?»

Lucian frowned. «I did not stay in the villages much, even when you were a boy, Mikhail. To remember one person-a woman…» He shook his head. «The villagers, especially the women, avoided Gabriel and me, often fleeing when we were sighted.»

«Try, Lucian,» Mikhail urged. «She would not have fled in fear from you. She was powerful in her own right. She would walk and flowers and grass would grow beneath her feet. It could be very important to us.»

Lucian nodded slowly, his frown deepening as he tried to pull up the ancient memory. The village busy with people living life-a life he never thought he could ever have. Families. Laughter. He had avoided it all as much as possible.

Jaxon's hand slid into his hair, teased the strands of hair along the back of his neck, sending a shiver of awareness down his spine, spreading warmth through his body and into his heart.

He forced his mind back to the old days, searching through bittersweet memories until he found the village where Dubrinsky had lived. Children ran together in small groups. So many nameless faces he had tried not to notice turning away from him. A serene face smiling at him, nodding, acknowledging him even as the children trailed after her. Life sprang up from nothing beneath her feet, green stalks, bright colored flowers, a rich tapestry forming on the ground while the little ones stared in awe.

«She came from a rare and much respected lineage. There were few with her talent. She was beautiful, her hair long and dark, and she always stood tall and straight and looked men in the eye.»

Jaxon smacked him on the back of the head. «I doubt he needs those precise details,» she said. «And just why would she need to be looking you in the eye?»

Mikhail tried to hide his shock. Every Carpathian alive was in awe of this man, but his lifemate treated him-exactly in the way Raven treated the prince of the Carpathian people. He swallowed his smile and glanced away as Lucian reached up to circle her waist and drag her from the arm of the chair onto his lap. She struggled for a minute and then subsided, allowing him to hold her.

«I remember watching her walk into a barren field. Within minutes foliage sprang up everywhere around her.»

«Did she attend births? Or treat the soil before a child was to be born-or even conceived?» It was a long shot, but Mikhail was ready to grasp at the smallest of chances.

Lucian's dark eyebrows shot up. «What are you thinking, Mikhail?»

«Shea said something about the soil being riddled with toxins earlier this evening. As I was flying over the battleground scarred and poisoned by the undead, I noticed one section had been healed. The soil was the darkest, richest soil I have seen in centuries. And then

Raven mentioned that she and several other women got together last night in mineral pools and the soil and water were different. This evening she is able to conceive. I have heard whispers that other women have experienced the same.»

Both men looked at Jaxon. She held up both hands, palms out, shaking her head adamantly. «Not me. Don't even think about it either. I'm just getting used to this lifemate thing. And in case you think I can heal the earth, think again. I've killed every potted plant I've ever tried to grow both before and after the conversion. I'm not your earth healer.»

«Have you heard anything about this, Jaxon?» Lucian asked. His fingers curled around the nape of her neck in a slow massage. «Have any of the women mentioned it to you?»

«No, but I can ask Francesca. She seems to always be in the know about everything. I don't know how she does it all with a baby and a teenager.»

Mikhail scrubbed a hand over his face suddenly looking tired. «It was a long shot anyway. I cannot remember who the woman was or her lineage, nor do I remember if she aided with birthing.»

«I will ask my brother and the other ancients if they remember more of this woman, but truly, Mikhail, if there is such a woman in our midst, we have only to ask her to step forward.»

«The answer cannot be so simple.»

«Maybe it is one piece of a puzzle we must work out-a very important piece.»

«If we find this woman and she is as important as I hope she is, this celebration will be the best thing we have ever done.»

«You are worried. The attack on Skyler and Alexandria?»

Of course Gabriel would have kept Lucian informed. Mikhail nodded. «I have been uneasy for a couple of evenings now. It has definitely put me on edge.»

«We went out there and looked around,» Jaxon said. «Someone had come from the direction of the inn on a sled and was in a snow blind-a very clever one, manmade-about half a mile from where Skyler and Alexandria were hurt. The feeling of power lingered, but it didn't feel Carpathian.» Jaxon bit at her lower lip, puzzling it out. «I've been really trying to get a feel for the different energy fields. That's all Carpathian magic really is, a manipulation of energy, and this felt off to me.»

A small smile lit Lucian's eyes briefly at the flare of surprise on Mikhail's face. «Did I mention Jaxon is a great cop? She tracks nearly as well as I do now.»

«You said something felt 'off to you,» Mikhail prodded. «Off like vampire?»

«There was an evil taint to it,» Jaxon admitted. «Lucian felt it through me, but couldn't on his own, and that really bothered me. If they've found a way to block their identities from the hunters, all of you could be in real trouble.»

«They have been doing that for some time,» Lucian reminded her, his hand sliding down her thigh in a small gesture of assurance.

«Not like this, Lucian,» she objected. «You felt the difference. It wasn't completely vampire-but still stank of evil.» There was worry in her tone.

«It has occurred to me that if our enemies strike against the women and children,» Mikhail confided, «then they would have the best chance for eradicating our species altogether. I do not know how much you know about the group of humans dedicated to wiping out our species. We always refer to them as the society. The vampires have tricked them, infiltrated their ranks and used them as puppets. The dark mage Xavier may be alive as well as his grandson. If that is so, Razvan is the first Dragonseeker to ever turn, and he is something we have never faced. His sister, Natalya, tells me he is a brilliant strategist when it comes to planning a war. No doubt he's already come to the same conclusions I have regarding the best way to strike the most devastating blow to our race.»

Lucian nodded. «I have believed for some time it is inevitable they will begin to strike against our women.»

«And still you allow your lifemate to hunt and destroy the vampire.»

Lucian's fingers tightened around Jaxon's in warning when she would have protested. «What better way to keep her safe than to teach her how to survive when she is attacked? Jaxon has remarkable skills and natural instincts. It would be a crime to stop her from learning how to kill the undead. And before you object, I do not think all our women should be out hunting vampires. But Jaxon is a special case, as are Natalya and Destiny. You cannot suppress their instincts, and let their abilities go to waste, so I have done all I can to prepare her for the hunt.»

Mikhail sighed. «In the old days, those with lifemates did not hunt the vampire. Now it is a necessity.»

«I have hunted for centuries, as have most of the ancient hunters-and Gregori. We know no other way of life anymore. It is not just a necessity, it is who we are.»

«Why did the lifemates keep them from hunting if they were more experienced?» Jaxon asked.

«Because even when we had women and children, we knew how precious they were,» Mikhail explained. «If we lose the male, we also lose the female, and that was not an option for us. Now we may have no choice but to allow our women to fight as well.»

«Not all the women, Mikhail,» Lucian reminded. «Only those who have the skills and the

desire to fight. Women like Jaxon and Destiny.»

Mikhail sighed. «And Natalya. She was in the thick of the battle. She told me that her twin brother, Razvan, fathered several children. Colby, Raphael's lifemate, is one of his daughters.»

«The Dragonseeker women always were unpredictable. They always will be. If Razvan had other children besides Colby, we need to find and protect them. I take it Dominic will be going out as soon as he is healed to look for his kin.»

«It will take time to heal his wounds. Even with our best healers, it has been difficult. Francesca will try again soon and if we find this woman who can heal the earth, perhaps she can help by enriching the soil where he lays.»

Mikhail stood up. «I must go. The celebration is in a couple of hours and I have several visits still to make. I know I have no need to remind you to be on the alert, but still-I feel I would be remiss if I didn't.»

Lucian stood as well, and once again gripped Mikhail's forearms in a gesture of respect. «You have my full allegiance, Mikhail. Should there be need, call to me-I will fight at your side, always.»

A brief smile failed to take the shadows from the prince's eyes. «The Daratrazanoff family has always been at the side of the Dubrinskys. We fight as one.»

Jaxon lifted a hand to the leader of the Carpathians as he left the house. «He seemed so sad, Lucian, I felt like crying,» she said. «And I never cry.» She pressed a hand to her aching heart. «Sorrow came off of him in waves.»

Lucian swept his arm around her. «You're always so sensitive to other people's feelings. Mikhail has a heavy burden to bear-to keep our species from extinction. He still remembers the old ways, gone now for all time. Back then our people thrived and lived together in a society. It is his responsibility to guide us into a new life, one where we can survive and live in harmony with other species around us. Like me, he cannot help but look back at what we had and look into the future with worry. I do not envy him his task. It is a terrible weight to carry on his shoulders.»

«Do you really think our enemies are going to go after the women and children?» She swallowed hard, closing her eyes against the memories flooding her of her own brother murdered by a mentally ill man. Her heart pounded at the thought of finding young Skyler or one of the infants brutally murdered.

«We will watch over them.»

«But we already know Skyler has been targeted,» she protested. «I tried not to care for her, but it's impossible. She's wonderful-and so young and old at the same time. Gabriel is worried about this Dimitri claiming her, and now this.» She swept a hand through her hair,

clearly agitated. «I feel like locking her up.»

Lucian burst out laughing, carrying her hand to his mouth to press kisses into the center of her palm. «Now you know how I feel-how every male feels about protecting his lifemate and his children.»

She scowled at him. «I don't need protection, Lucian. I'm capable of looking after myself. Skyler's a teenager. What if this Dimitri character tries to carry her off?»

«Dimitri is added protection for Skyler. I do not understand how she triggered his instincts at such a young age, but she has and he can do no other than to ensure her health, safety and happiness. It may take him a little while to conquer the demon, but I have every faith that he will.»

«Why?»

«Dimitri has always valued honor and responsibility. He rarely even bent the rules in his youth. He may want to carry her off, but in the end, unless something terrible happens, he will do the right thing by her.» He shifted her into his arms, holding her close to comfort her, her memories now so fresh and distressing. «On the other hand, it is always better to make certain.»

She tilted her head to look up at him. He always made her feel safe. She had never known that sensation before he entered her life, certainly not as a child and not as a young woman. Lucian had changed her entire life and given her back hope and promise and dreams. She slipped her arms around him. «I want for Skyler what you've given to me. She deserves-and needs happiness, Lucian.»

He nuzzled the top of her head with her chin. «I know, little one. With Gabriel and Francesca looking out for her, and the two of us as well, Skyler will be just fine.»

Jaxon wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek against the steady beat of his heart. «Have I told you today that I love you?»

«Not yet, but I was going to get to that. A little prompting on my part usually gets more than satisfying results.» He inhaled her feminine fragrance. Jaxon. The woman he could never do without. She was so small, so fragile looking, but with the strength of steel and a will of iron.

«Well, I do,» she replied.

«What?»

«You know very well what.»

Lucian lifted her with ease, bringing her up to his hungry mouth. «Say you love me and say it right now, woman.»

She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. «Or what? Are you threatening to punish me in some despicable way?»

His teeth nibbled at her pulse, scraped and teased, while his tongue danced a seductive rhythm. «Say it, stubborn woman.»

«Your head is already far too big.» Her fingers stroked his long hair. «If one more person looks at you as if you are the bomb…»

«The bomb?» His eyebrows shot up. «Where do you get such slang?»

«I'm hip, baby. Totally hip.» She laughed at his expression. «Actually, Skyler told me I was the bomb and I couldn't wait to try it out on you.» Her smile faded into a small frown. «Maybe we should go find her, make certain she's really all right.»

«It sounds like a plan. I wanted to run with the wolves anyway and if we do that, we may have a chance of finding and talking with Dimitri.»

«Why is there a 'but first' in your tone?»

Clothes floated to the floor, leaving her bare breasts pressed tightly against his chest and his hard shaft pressed against her already slick entrance.

«I want to make love to you.»

«You always want to make love. And you did this evening three times. I think you need help. You're a sexaholic.» She squirmed, pressing her most feminine core against him, rubbing slowly back and forth to entice him as she kissed her way up this throat. She lifted her body several inches to poise just above him.

«You attacked me this morning,» he pointed out.

«Did I? I'd forgotten. Well, maybe I did.» She slid down his body, impaling herself on his hard thick shaft, feeling him slowly, inch by inch, invading, filling her. She began a seductive ride, moving over him, muscles tight and hot, slick and silky with desire.

He caught her hips in his hands and took over the pace, so that their movements were perfectly synchronized and they moved as one, the now familiar fire building between them. She tilted her head, wanting his kiss, the sweet explosion of his commanding mouth taking hers, tightening every muscle in her body, sending darts of fire racing through her bloodstream.

Making love to Lucian was one of the few times when she ever relaxed her vigilance– and she knew it was the same when he touched her. Her teeth teased his lower lip, slid over to tug at his ear, all the while the pressure kept building and building deep inside her-in him. «I do love you,» she whispered, the sound barely audible over their combined heartbeats and heavy breathing, over the sound of joy escaping his throat in the form of a

growl. But he heard. She knew he heard. His fingers tightened possessively as he swept them both into a world of pure passion.

Chapter 9

Skyler sat on the railing of the porch and stared out into the glistening world of white. Pain vibrated through her body-through her very soul, until she felt so weighed down by it she could barely breathe. Inside the house she could hear Gabriel and Francesca laughing as they played with Baby Tamara. Every now and then she felt their light touch, as they assured themselves that she was close by.

She made certain that they only touched the surface she presented to them, a teenage girl in a strange, exciting new place looking forward to a Christmas celebration. The Carpathian blood they'd shared with her made the facade easier, and a lifetime of hiding her emotions from others made the task simple.

She bit hard at her lower lip and studied her long fingernails. She bit them all the time, but they grew back quickly, stronger and better than ever thanks to the Carpathian blood Gabriel and Francesca had shared with her. She still couldn't touch people without reading their emotions. If anything the blood had enhanced her abilities, and it could be dreadfully uncomfortable. She disliked attending school, and preferred the tutors Francesca provided, although she knew her adopted parents thought she needed the company of younger people. She didn't. She needed to be alone.

«Skyler? Are you all right?»

The male voice jerked her head up. Josef stood in front of the railing, hands jammed in his pockets.

Biting down hard on her lower lip, she was careful not to let the misery show on her face. The pain was making her sick to her stomach. Even her vision seemed blurry. «Sure.» She could barely manage to get the word out, and she didn't bother trying to flash him a false, cheery smile.

This wasn't her pain. Somewhere out there in the forest, the man who claimed to be her lifemate was suffering agonies. She wanted to ignore it, but she couldn't. Guilt clawed at her insides. She knew pain intimately-and despair. In spite of everything, she was intrigued with the man. He was way old, of course. And too dominating. He would definitely expect her to obey him, and that wasn't her style at all. She conformed to the wishes of Francesca and Gabriel because she loved them, not because she had to.

«Skyler.» Josef's voice broke again into her thoughts. He hopped onto the rail and crouched close to her. «Look at me.»

«Why?»

He dragged a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her face. «You have little drops of

blood on your forehead.» He pretended not to notice when she winced away from him, refusing to allow his fingers to brush her skin. He simply wiped, careful not to touch her, and drew back to huff out a long stream of air. «What's wrong?»

«Nothing.» How could he not feel it? How could Francesca and Gabriel not feel the pain and sorrow weighing so heavily in the forest? The wolves did. She could hear them off in the distance, their mournful song filled with sadness and distress. Didn't Josef at least hear the animals?

Skyler wiped her hand over her face, as if she could draw a veil over the truth. That man, so invincible-looking, so stern and cold and bleak, a man with ice in his veins and death in his eyes, had looked at her-looked right through her-and touched her somewhere no one else had ever been. She pressed her hand hard against her aching heart. It hurt. It shouldn't, but the feeling was like a vise squeezing with a steady, relentless pressure.

«It isn't 'nothing' when you're sweating blood, Skyler. We're friends, aren't we? You can tell me what's wrong.»

Skyler didn't know if she had friends. She trusted her adopted parents and Lucian and Jaxon. Other than that, she never allowed herself to be alone with anyone. Francesca thought time was going to heal her, but Skyler doubted it. In order to preserve her spirit– her sanity, she had retreated from the world as a child, and perhaps she'd stayed away too long. She didn't know how to be a friend-or a partner.

«Yes, of course we're friends,» she said, giving the obligatory answer. Over the years she'd found if she just said what people expected to hear, they went away happy and left her in peace.

Josef relaxed visibly. «Why didn't you come over to Aidan's and play the new video game? It's way cool.»

«I was helping Francesca make the gingerbread houses for tonight.» She wrapped her arms around herself protectively.

«Antonietta's making some cool thing for this dinner tonight. You should come over and help. I'm heading back there now.»

«I've met you a dozen times already and know you from online, but haven't met Antonietta. It's intimidating to think about meeting her. She's so famous.»

«She can play the piano,» Josef conceded, «but she isn't stuck up or anything. She was blind before she was with Byron, but I don't think she sees much better even now.» He grinned, white teeth flashing against the dark outline he used around his lips drawing attention to his tongue-piercing as well as the hoop in his lip.

«I thought when one is converted, all the scars and imperfections disappear.» She touched the crescent-shaped scar on her face. «And how can you be pierced? Doesn't your body heal

itself?»

Josef sighed. «It's a real fight,» he conceded. «I don't wear them most of the time because the holes are always closing up within minutes, but I have to keep up my rep, so I just concentrate on it all the time around everybody and I can keep the piercing with no problem.»

«Is that why the skin's grown over the diamond on your nose?» Skyler asked, rubbing her chin along the top of her drawn-up knees. She stared out into the sparkling white world. It seemed a fairy tale, all crystal and ice. Cold-like she was. She closed her eyes briefly against the sorrow pressing down on her, trying to listen to the wolves, trying to sort out their song. She'd always loved them, always had such an affinity for them, and now the sound called to something lonely and primal in her.

Josef clapped his hand over his nose. «Not again! I hope it wasn't like that when the prince saw me.» He regarded her with a narrowed gaze. «You are coming over, aren't you? Antonietta's really nice. Byron is too, but he doesn't want me to know he is.»

Skyler shook her head. «I can't right now. I'll catch up to you later.» She needed to be alone, to think things through for herself. She liked Josef, but he was a distraction and he didn't have a clue that she was upset. Dimitri would have known. The thought came unbidden and filled her with shame-with regret. With anger.

«Come on, Skyler, don't be a big baby. Just because your parents think you need a babysitter doesn't mean you can't come with me. I'm over twenty-one.»

She glared at him. «Really? I thought you were Joshua's age. You aren't going to goad me into doing something wrong, Josef.» Which made her feel even guiltier. He might not be able to goad her, but she intended to disobey her parents. The terrible weight in her chest pressed harder, the sorrow nearly choking her. She had to make it stop-make Dimitri understand it wasn't about him or her rejection of him. It wasn't personal. She would have rejected anyone. He had to move on.

«You're just angry because I made fun of you having to wait for an adult before you could walk home,» he said. «I was only teasing you. There's no need to be upset.»

«I'm not a baby,» she snapped, pressing both hands into her wildly churning stomach. Maybe if she threw up on him he'd go away. «You didn't have to tease me.»

«Sure I did. That's what friends do.»

That brought her up short. They were friends-of a sort. She liked Josef. She just didn't like being alone with him-with any man. With anyone. She swept one hand through her hair and tried not to cry.

Josef, reading her expression, tried again. «The prince came by while I was at Aidan and Alexandria's and he said he was going to have Gregori play Santa Claus tonight. Man, that's

gonna freak out all the kids. It ought to be fun.»

«Freaking out a bunch of little kids isn't funny, Josef. Especially not when it comes to Santa Claus. You could traumatize them.»

«You're beginning to sound more and more like Francesca.» He didn't make it sound as though he was complimenting her. «I'm not traumatizing them. Gregori is-and I didn't choose him-the prince did.»

«Tonight, make sure you don't help scare the children, especially Tamara.»

They glared at one another for a long moment in silence. When Josef went to turn away with a sullen expression, she cleared her throat. «Can you shapeshift?»

He puffed out his chest. «Of course.»

She glanced toward the house. «Do you think someone who is only part Carpathian can actually shapeshift?» She avoided his gaze by rubbing her chin thoughtfully on her knees as if in deep contemplation. Josef might act like a dork around adults, but he was as sharp as a tack and he might be able to read her expression.

«Well…» He frowned. «That's a good question. Natalya turned into a tiger, which was very cool by the way, but I've never heard any of the adults mention anyone else who could do it.»

«How do you shift?»

He shook his head. «Don't even think about it, Skyler. It isn't that easy. I practice all the time and I still make mistakes.»

«You don't practice all the time. You play video games all the time.» With another surreptitious glance toward the house, she slid off the rail into the snow. Unlike Josef, she couldn't regulate her body temperature and she was stiff from sitting on the railing with the cold wind adding to her chill. At least it had stopped snowing-she glanced up at the ominous sky, laden with heavy clouds-for the moment.

Josef scowled at her. «Hey! I can shift. Watch this.» He backed up a few steps and stood, arms out. Feathers began to sprout over his body, his face reshaping several times until he had facial discs-dusky white with gray-brown mottling bordered by black. His irises turned a bright yellow, and his developing bill was gray-green with tufts of bristly feathers around its base. His body compacted, shifted, slowly shrinking with a few stops and starts until he was sitting in the snow in the perfect form of a very small owl. The body of the owl was gray-brown with an intricate pattern of stripes and bars and even spots in places. It sat very still, the body so small she was really awed that Josef had managed. The large eyes blinked up at her.

Skyler walked around the tiny creature. «Amazing, Josef. How did you get it so tiny?

Can you actually fly? Or should I just have you stuffed for ornamental purposes?»

The owl issued a whiny note and hopped several times, wings extending and flapping until it awkwardly took to the air. Josef flew around her several times, rose higher and darted back, straight at her head.

Skyler threw up her hands and ran out into the snow, scooping snow from the edge of the porch to fling it at the errant bird. «Stop it, that's not funny, Josef.»

The bird rose again and circled her, once again building speed for the attack. Skyler ran back toward the house, close to the structure as the bird rushed her. She ducked and covered her head just as Josef swooped on her. The little screech owl hit the side of the house and fell like a stone onto the ground. The bird lay perfectly still, its little feet pointed straight up, just like a cartoon.

Skyler let her breath out in a slow hiss of displeasure. «That's not funny, Josef. Get up.» There was an ominous silence. She lifted her head and took a step toward him. If he was trying to scare her-as usual-she was going to wring his neck. The little owl remained motionless, feet stiff. Her hand fluttered to her throat as fear crept in. She was afraid to move, afraid to examine the small little creature.

«Josef!» She hurried over, dropping to her knees in the snow to reach for the screech owl. Just as she went to lift it, the huge eyes popped open, the bill yawning wide and wings flapping. Skyler couldn't stop the startled scream that escaped.

«Gotcha!» Josef sat up laughing.

Skyler leapt to her feet, her heart pounding. She wanted to smash something over his head and she never had violent tendencies-well, almost never. Josef just brought out the worst in her. He loved pranks and she seemed a great target. «You're not funny.»

The smile faded from his face. «What's wrong with you lately, Skyler? Screech owls often fly into things and knock themselves silly. People think they're dead, but they're just out. I read about it and thought it would make you smile. Honestly, you're no fun.» He jumped up and backed away from her. «We're not grown up yet. There's nothing wrong with laughing about stuff.»

He walked off without a backward glance. She told herself she was glad to see him go– that he was being ridiculous, but inside the loneliness grew stronger. She didn't laugh like other kids-she didn't know how. Online, when she talked to Josef, she could be different, be someone else. No one could see her or touch her and she could just relax and have fun. But here… everyone was too close. She could feel every emotion, and it ripped at her skin and clawed at her heart until she felt so raw she thought she might just cease to exist. Sometimes, even the earth seemed to scream in pain at her.

In the distance, a lone wolf howled mournfully. The single drawn out note struck at her.

The wolf was as lonely as she was. She reached up to wrap her fingers around the pendant lying between her breasts. Suddenly, it felt warm instead of icy cold, almost pulsing in her hand. She knew better. She was going to get in such trouble if Gabriel and Francesca discovered she'd taken off again, but she had to go. She couldn't stop herself.

Skyler drew her white, fur-lined parka around her and took off at a light jog in the direction from which she'd heard the wolf. Was it Dimitri? Her heart jumped at the thought. His eyes had been so blue-so intense-and so filled with pain. She knew pain intimately –she knew people. They hid terrible inclinations, terrible secrets beneath falsely smiling faces. Was she any better than the rest of them, leaving the man to suffer because she was afraid?

She shivered in spite of her jacket. Gabriel would be furious with her and she didn't like it when he was really angry. Mostly he just gave her a look, but if he was angry, he insisted on punishing her. That usually meant she had to spend time with other kids. For others, it would have been easy, but it was always the most dreaded of all retributions. Her feet dragged in the snow and she halted, glancing back in the direction of the house. She couldn't see it anymore, having entered into the tree line. The wolf howled again, a plaintive note this time, as if he too searched for answers.

Skyler squared her shoulders and set out once again, picking her away through the snow drifts as she tried to follow a shallow trail that wound along the streambed. The tip of her nose grew cold along with her ears. She pulled the hood closer around her, trying to keep the cold out. It was impossible. She stumbled and nearly fell. The abrupt action rattled her enough that she shook her head hard, trying to clear out the soft pitiful cries of the wolf that just wouldn't let go of her.

For so long she'd thought her answer was to live in the Carpathian world, but she'd realized she couldn't relate any better there than in the human world. She brushed at the tears that should have been in her eyes, only there were none there. She felt them burning deep inside, locked away like her memories. Only Francesca and Gabriel seemed to be able to accept her with all of her differences-all of her shortcomings. She was never going to overcome her past-or her psychic abilities. She might have more control than she used to, thanks to her adopted parents, but it wasn't enough to allow her to be like other people.

She tripped on a branch buried in the snow, and glanced around astonished to realize she had been walking the entire time and had no idea where she was. She turned in a circle frowning. Which way was home? She could call out to Gabriel, but he'd be furious with her. It would be so much better to find her own way home. He'd still be upset with her when he found out, but his anger would be somewhat tempered by the fact that she was safe.

An almost humanlike scream of agony shattered the silence sending chills down her spine. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, blood nearly freezing in her veins. She gasped for breath, looking wildly around. It was close, so close she could hear the accompanying snarling and snapping of a wolf in distress. Propelled by something outside herself, Skyler ran, allowing the reverberation of the struggle to guide her.

Beneath a large misshapen tree a huge male wolf, reddish in color, fought with the clawed vise clamped around his leg. Blood sprayed across the snow, and the wolf chewed at his own paw in an effort to free himself. As she skidded to a halt, the creature whirled around to face the new threat, lips drawn back in a vicious snarl, yellow eyes gleaming with malice as he warned her off.

Skyler backed away, keeping a safe distance as the animal lunged at her. The trap brought him up short and he yelped, spun and bit at his leg again, before whirling to keep a wary eye on her. His sides heaved and sweat made his fur even darker. His entire body shuddered. She could feel the pain rolling off him in waves. It wasn't Dimitri. The wolf couldn't be a shapeshifter or he would have freed himself. It was truly a wild animal caught in a vicious snare. Looking into his eyes, she realized his freedom was gone, but his spirit refused to surrender. He snarled at her continually, showing his teeth, salvia dripping from his mouth, and all the while, his yellow eyes never left her face.

Had she already given up when this magnificent animal held on valiantly? When it was willing to chew off its own paw to survive? Skyler couldn't turn away from the beast, her compassion rising quickly. She held up one hand, palm outward. «Just relax,» she soothed, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. She drew in a deep breath and let it out.

The wolf rumbled deep in its throat, but stopped growling. She nodded as if they were conversing. «That's it. That's good.» Sometimes she could hold an animal, even a wild one, while she checked injuries, but she'd never tried to hold a wolf to her. It took a touching of two spirits, and that was never easy in the best of times. She concentrated on the animal, calling silently, relentlessly, to the very essence of the beast.

The wolf grew silent, staring at her with intent eyes. She stepped closer, feeling the warming tingle that always spread throughout her body and mind before she connected solidly. Her stomach unexpectedly knotted and her throat burned. There was a bitter taste in her mouth. A shadow slipped against her spirit, something oily, slimy and evil. Her soul shuddered and drew back.

Horrified, Skyler lifted her head to stare at the wolf. She saw the paw reshaping, the animal's body twisting and contorting, the muzzle elongating into a hideous bullet head sitting atop something half human and half wolf The mouth pulled wide in a parody of a smile showing stained, pointy teeth.

Her breath froze in her lungs. She couldn't move, couldn't form the thought to call Francesca or Gabriel. She could only stand there waiting for death to come for her.

A large black wolf burst from the trees, running full out, using ground-eating leaps that covered several feet at a time. The animal struck her with its shoulder, driving her away from the vampire. Ice-blue eyes burned with glacier cold as the black wolf whirled in midair and sprang for the throat of the shifting vampire. Heavily muscled, the wolf drove the creature backward before it had a chance to change fully into one form or the other. Powerful jaws clamped around the exposed throat and tore.

Look the other way.

The orders rang sharp and clear inside Skyler's mind. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, but that didn't begin to drown out the sound of ripping flesh, high-pitched screams and the snarls and growls of the undead. The voice slashed at her brain, cutting deep. She felt droplets like white-hot cinders burn through her gloves and skin to her very bones. It was impossible to keep the small cry of startled pain from escaping.

The snarls grew louder, the shrieks more violent and terrible. Skyler covered her face with her hands to try to keep from looking, but she couldn't stop the morbid terror and spread her fingers enough to peek through. Dimitri was once again a man-no-not a man. He was fully a Carpathian warrior, his eyes blazing with fury, his mouth drawn into a cruel, merciless line. Muscles rippled in his back and bulged in his arms as he slammed his fist through the vampire's chest and wrapped his fingers around the blackened, wizened heart. There was a terrible sucking sound and the shriek rose higher. Blood sprayed in a black arc. Skyler's hands protected her face, but this time blood splattered across the backs of her gloves, melting the material and skin instantly.

Skyler gasped with pain and pushed both hands into the snow, staring in horror as Dimitri extracted the heart and tossed it some distance from the vampire. The undead clawed and bit, fighting viciously, tearing deep lacerations in Dimitri's skin. Acid burns streaked the hunter's neck, chest and arms as he called up a storm and lightning sizzled and crackled overhead.

Movement caught her eye, and Skyler turned away from the mesmerizing sight of a vampire to see the blackened heart wiggling across the snow-covered ground in an effort to get back to its master. As it rolled along the path back toward its master, the heart drew close to her hands buried in the snow. With a cry of terror she dragged her hands clear, turned away and was sick, her stomach heaving in protest at the abomination.

A whip of lightning streaked from the sky to incinerate the heart. The lightning separated at the last moment, forming two tendrils to strike at the vampire while it also hit the heart. Noxious fumes filled the air and black smoke rose, along with the wailing shriek that faded along with the vapor.

In the ensuing silence, Skyler heard her heart thundering overly loud in her ears. She lifted her face to meet Dimitri's eyes, and her heart abruptly skipped a beat. He looked so strong-so invincible. His eyes were so cold, so blue, yet they burned through her skin to her bones, branding her. He moved and she blinked, the mesmerizing spell broken. Skyler backed away from him, his anger washing over her in waves. The force was so powerful she hunched, nearly driven to her knees. A sound of distress escaped her throat, instantly drawing his intent gaze to her pounding pulse.

At once the anger was gone. He held out his hand. «Come here to me. You're injured. Don't be afraid, Skyler. I couldn't harm you, no matter the circumstances.»

She swallowed hard and stepped back another step, her mouth going dry as he crooked his finger at her. Why couldn't she scream for Gabriel or Francesca? They were her lifelines when terror invaded and her spirit retreated. Physically, she was incapable of running away from him. She had learned a long time ago that all that brought was swift reprisal. She could be beaten into physical submission, but her mind could go where no other could follow. She could stay safe, huddled far away in a place inside her mind.

Dimitri could see stark fear in his lifemate's eyes. Every vestige of color drained from her face, leaving her so pale her skin looked translucent. The anger he was holding in check receded as protective instincts he didn't know he had rose sharp and fast. He wanted to gather her into his arms and shelter her there, but he could actually feel her soul shying away from the wild need in his. He had never imagined anyone could be so fragile. Approaching her called for a finesse he wasn't certain he possessed.

«Listen to me, little one.» He made a supreme effort to gentle his voice. He was rarely around people and his throat felt rusty. «You shouldn't have had to witness that. The killing of a vampire is always a messy and violent business. I want only to heal the burns on your skin. Will you allow me to do so?»

She didn't answer, simply stared at him numbly.

His heart shifted in his chest. «If I frighten you too badly, I will call Francesca to you. She is a great healer, but it must be done soon. Vampire blood burns like acid. This one had recently turned or it wouldn't have been so easy to…» He hesitated wanting to avoid the word «kill.» «Destroy.»

Skyler swallowed several times. «How?» The word came out barely a whisper.

He touched her mind, found her hands throbbed and burned. She looked as if she might faint, even felt faint in her mind.

«It won't hurt. I'll be very careful.»

She took a deep breath as she lifted her chin and forced herself to take a step toward him. Her body trembled visibly. He could see the effort cost her dearly, but he was proud of her for the attempt. He didn't make the mistake of going to her. He was too tall, towering over her diminutive frame, and he knew it would only frighten her more if he moved. He waited, holding his breath still in his lungs, regulating his heartbeat to hers in an effort to help steady her. She took a second step and then a third, reaching out with both hands so he could see the streaks of acid burn where the vampire's blood had melted the material of her gloves. Her hands shook as she placed them in his open palms.

«Would you rather I call Francesca?»

She shook her head. «They don't know I followed the call of the wolf. They'll be angry with me.» She raised her eyes to his. «Disappointed in me.»

His call. Inwardly, Dimitri swore. He had not bound her to him, but his blood-his heart –his very soul called to hers. Of course she had answered. No lifemate could resist her other half in need. And he needed her desperately. He closed his fingers around hers.

«I'll do this then. I cannot call down the lightning as you are not fully Carpathian, so I must use my own healing powers. It can feel-intimate. You'll have to trust that I am not taking advantage, but only doing what is necessary.»

He lowered his head, inch by slow inch, giving her plenty of time to change her mind. His gaze held hers captive, refusing to allow her to look away from the familiar act he was performing on her. His lips moved along the streaks, feather light, just skimming, brushing small caresses over the burns. His tongue stroked, velvet soft. She jumped and nearly pulled her hand away. Instinctively he tightened his fingers, holding her skin against his lips.

Surely you know our saliva heals.

Skyler nodded, still unable to pull her gaze from the deep blue of his. It doesn't feel the same as when Francesca or Gabriel have healed cuts on me. It feels… Intimate. Too intimate. Sexy. Erotic even. Faint color stole into her cheeks at her thoughts. She couldn't control the rush of heat in her bloodstream, or the way her womb clenched in anticipation when his lips touched another long burn. She was so mesmerized by him, she didn't even notice she'd used the most intimate form of speech of all-mind-to-mind on a private path only the two of them shared.

His tongue swirled, taking the sting from the burns. It felt like seduction-and as if he were stealing away more than the pain. She could see every detail of his face, the strong jaw and nose, the shape of his mouth, most of all, those glacier-blue eyes she couldn't escape. His lashes were heavy and very black, just as his hair and brows were. The color of his eyes was more dramatic, more intensely alive, with the contrast. She felt almost dizzy, as if she were falling into his intent gaze.

She drew air deep into her lungs and found his scent. Her heart matched the rhythm of his. Her mind actually relaxed its guard and allowed him to slip inside. His soul brushed up against hers. He didn't push, or take, merely touched, so light she barely felt it, barely felt the merging, her soul reaching instinctively, yearning for his-for him.

She wanted to snatch her hand away, to tell him she'd have Francesca help her after all, but she couldn't. Nothing had ever felt so right in her life. In that brief moment there was no past or future, only this moment and this man.

Dimitri was careful to find every burn on her skin, every thread the vampire's blood had left behind. They could be like spoors, spawning the most malevolent things if not eradicated. Fortunately, the vampire had been one that was more recently turned and hadn't yet grown fully into the power of evil. Dimitri took his time, brushing the pad of his thumb along her inner wrist, savoring the feel of her skin and the fact that for this one small moment in time, she relaxed a little with him.

It was with great reluctance that he lifted his head and allowed her hands to slip through his fingers. «There. It is done.»

«What about your wounds? I can't heal you.»

«I can do that myself.» But he couldn't breathe without her. He looked away from her before she glimpsed that in him-the need to gather her up and take her far away where she had no choice but to accept him. The beast struggled to rise, demanding its mate. Ruthlessly, he pushed it down. Nothing would mar this moment with her.

«I wanted to see you again. I needed to talk to you.»

He bowed slightly from the waist and reached out with that same slow deliberation, giving her plenty of time to object. When she didn't, he tucked a stray strand of blond hair behind her ear. «I am at your service.»

Her smile was tentative-an olive branch. «I needed to tell you that it isn't you. It's me. I know what a lifemate is and this is a mistake. I'm-flawed. I can't be like other women– not ever.» She ducked her head, avoiding his gaze. His eyes just seemed so alive, almost burning her skin, yet so cold she shivered.

«It takes a great deal of courage, little one, to tell me these things. I thank you for making the effort.» He kept his voice gentle, resisting the urge to drag her into his arms. She was utterly adorable standing there trying to reject him and not hurt his feelings. They were all wrong-Francesca and Gabriel and even Mikhail. She wasn't too young. Even now, when she should have been little more than a girl emerging from her childhood, he knew she was already an adult. His soul had brushed hers. She had been ripped from her childhood, and the young woman so close-so elusive-was simply too fragile. So beaten down, so sensitive with her enormous psychic talent-the atrocities committed against her had driven her spirit too deep, too far, and she was barely able to stay in the world. «Time will sort this out for us. In the meantime, allow me to escort you back to your home.»

«Aren't you angry with me?»

«Because you are not yet ready for my claim?» He took her hand, his fingers warm and sure when she was so uncertain. «Of course not.»

Snow plopped down from the nearest tree and both turned toward the sound. Branches swayed as a small owl took to the air, wings outstretched, body wobbling as it launched itself into the air. The screech owl dove straight at them.

Dimitri leapt to place his body between the creature and Skyler. He timed his attack, swatting the bird from the air even as she yelled, panic evident in her voice.

«No! It's Josef. It has to be Josef.» She tried to get around Dimitri, her protective tone raising the hackles of the wolf, triggering the response of his beast at the idea that she would shield another man. He moved without seeming to do so, keeping her from rushing

around him.

The owl shook, the movements jerky, arms breaking through where wings had been. It fell into the snow and a young man sprawled out, all arms and legs, looking slightly shocked and very scared, but determined. He scrambled to his feet, balled his fists, and glared at Dimitri. «Leave her alone.»

Dimitri might have overcome the instinct of his species, but he felt Skyler's response to the stranger, the instant flash of amusement tinged with admiration. He bared his teeth, a snarl rumbling deep in his throat, a challenge to the other male. At once the small clearing was ringed with the pack, the wolves pacing, eyes glowing, answering his snarls with agitation and aggression to match his own. Fire burned in his mind, his heart, raged in his soul and was reflected in his eyes, now a fiery red.

Skyler tried to push past him, but he caught her arm, his grip like steel. «Who is this man to you?»

«My friend. Don't you dare hurt him.» She would fight for Josef when she couldn't fight for herself.

The wolf pack bared teeth, edged closer, narrowing the circle. Skyler could make out the large shaggy animals, all in good health, all focused on Josef.

«You do not need to have male friends,» Dimitri bit out, his strong white teeth flashing, showing a hint of his lengthened canines as well as incisors. His muscles rippled beneath his skin, crackling and popping as he fought off the change.

Frightened, Skyler began to back away from him again, sensing the wild rage rising, the animal taking over. But something, maybe desperation, pain, sorrow, something gave her pause. She touched him, her palm flat on his chest, looking up into his eyes. Even in the guise of a wolf, his eyes were always going to be blue, and right now they were turbulent and stormy. «Dimitri. He's a friend. Not a boyfriend.» She shouldn't have to make excuses, but she couldn't stop wanting to soothe him. The need was every bit as urgent and strong as the desire to run.

He caught her hand, carried it to her lips and waved his hand to the slavering wolves. The circle opened reluctantly. «Go. Go now,» he bit out, «while I'm still in control.»

«I'm sorry,» she whispered.

Skyler and Josef ran, careful not to touch each other, Skyler with a heavy heart and guilt clawing at her. She ran with tears streaming down her face wondering where they came from, feeling inadequate and a coward. She ran from Dimitri's pain and her own fears. Was there never going to be a safe refuge for her?

Chapter 10

Music filled the small confines of the room, spilled out into the hallways and drifted outside. Antonietta Scarletti-Justicano turned her head toward the sound. Two pairs of footsteps approaching. She sniffed the air, easily distinguishing the familiar scent of Josef and the unfamiliar scent of his companion. Female… young… and very distraught. It took a second to get past the girl's radiating fear to feel Josef's matching alarm. She lifted her fingers from the ivory keys and turned toward them.

«Josef? What's wrong?»

Skyler realized instantly Antonietta couldn't really see them. It was almost unheard of for a Carpathian to be anything but perfect physically. She tried to recall what she knew of Josef's aunt. She'd been a famous pianist before Byron had claimed and converted her and she'd been blind most of her life. Skyler moved closer to her in an attempt to make it easier for her. «I'm Skyler Daratrazanoff, Francesca and Gabriel's daughter.» She didn't make the claim often, but she loved saying it out loud.

«It's lovely to meet you, cara,» Antonietta said, her voice as musical as her fingers. «Please tell me what is upsetting you both.»

«A vampire attacked Skyler,» Josef burst out.

Antonietta reached out toward her. Instinctively, before she could stop herself, Skyler stepped back.

«I'm all right. Dimitri killed it.»

«And then he touched her. Licked her.» There was disgust in Josefs voice. «We barely got out of there alive. He had a wolf pack with him and the wolves would have killed us.»

Byron! Antonietta summoned her lifemate immediately. «Josef, are either of you hurt in any way? Have you called Gabriel?»

«No!» Skyler protested. «Please don't do that. Neither of us is hurt. Vampire blood splashed over my hands and burned through my gloves. Dimitri was healing the burns when Josef saw him. Josef misunderstood.»

«I didn't misunderstand him baring his teeth at me, Skyler,» Josef snapped. «You didn't see him. There was death in his eyes when he looked at me.»

«He saved my life,» Skyler declared.

«Your heart is pounding very fast and loud,» Antonietta pointed out. «I think you were far more frightened than you wish to admit.»

«Of the vampire,» Skyler insisted.

A tall handsome man strode into the room. «Vampire?» He glanced from his nephew to

his lifemate, and circled Antonietta's waist with his arm.

At once Antonietta could see the others in the room. Most of the time, when she wasn't tired, she could see shadows on her own, enough with her other heightened senses to know who and what was around her, but sometimes she simply didn't bother. She was used to a world without sight, and unless Byron provided her eyes for her, it was difficult to continually remember and maintain her vision. A vampire attacked this young lady and Josef seems to think Dimitri, her rescuer, then behaved inappropriately, although she claims he was healing her hands.

Byron immediately reached out to the other Carpathians on their common telepathic path of communication to spread the news of a vampire attack. Gabriel's answer was sharp and instant. «Your father is on his way,» Byron announced aloud, even as he reached for Skyler's hands, grasping her fingers before she could pull away and raising them up for inspection. Old scars crisscrossed the skin, running up her forearms in what were obviously defensive wounds. The sight of such abuse on a young female sickened him. On the backs of her hands were newer marks, recently healed, faint, but telltale.

Skyler jerked her hands away, visibly trembling. «I told you, he healed the burns.» She put her hands behind her back, out of sight. «It was awful.»

Gabriel materialized in the room without preamble, reaching for her, yanking her against him, his hands sliding over her checking for damage. «You have a lot to answer for, Skyler Rose.»

«She's had a terrible fright,» Antonietta said, interceding.

«Some stranger was all over her,» Josef said, frowning in disapproval. He drew himself up to his full height. «I followed her because she was acting funny and a vampire attacked her. Before I could do anything…»

«Such as call for me?» Byron interrupted. «I don't recall a summons or a cry for help.»

«I did not get one either,» Gabriel said, retaining his hold on his daughter. «The threat of a vampire getting his hands on you, Skyler, is enough to put gray streaks in my hair. What were you doing out in the open without protection? You were warned earlier that you were in danger, yet you chose to ignore it? You ignored a direct order from your mother and me.»

Skyler clung to him. It the midst of such a chaotic world, he was a tower of strength– always and ever her rock. «I'm sorry,» she whispered. I couldn't stop myself from going to him. There was such pain. I know pain and I couldn't be the cause.

A slow hiss escaped him. His fingers stroked a caress even as he buffeted her from his fatherly anger. Part of him wanted to shake her hard, the other half wanted to hold her to him and comfort her, keep her safe. You did not think to confide in Francesca-or me? You could have asked us for help in dealing with this, Skyler.

Was there hurt in his voice? Was she destined to hurt everyone who mattered to her? «I'm so sorry,» she said aloud a second time. «I couldn't think clearly.» It was the truth-and the only excuse she had to offer.

«Tell us exactly what happened,» another voice said. Skyler looked up to see Mikhail and Lucian standing close. Both looked grim. «If Dimitri assaulted you, Skyler, you must tell us,» the prince added.

«No!» She shouted the word, a surge of adrenaline rushing through her bloodstream. Everyone was staring at her, crowding close. She could barely breathe, barely speak. «He tried to help me. Why won't you listen to me?»

«If you value your lives,» another voice interrupted, «you will leave my lifemate alone. I can feel her distress radiating through the forest and yet you surround her, pressuring her to tell you tales you should be asking of a hunter.» Dimitri stood tall and straight in the open doorway. His long hair blew in the slight breeze and a few snowflakes dotted his head and shoulders.

Gabriel pushed Skyler toward Antonietta. «I believe I will take you up on your explanation,» he told Dimitri through clenched teeth. «Antonietta, if you would be so kind as take my daughter into your kitchen and make certain she drinks something sweet such as orange juice. It must be natural.»

«Gabriel,» Skyler protested.

Go with her. It is my duty and privilege to ensure your safety and I intend to do just that. We will discuss this later.

«He saved my life,» Skyler said defiantly, looking around at the room filled with Carpathian hunters. «He saved my life.»

Antonietta ignored the small automatic hesitation on Skyler's part and put her arm around the girl. «I think your man can hold his own with this group.» Be on his side, Byron. Please. He seems so alone. She flashed a confident smile at Skyler. «I can see when I work at it. I won't give you something like olive oil to drink instead of orange juice.»

Skyler went with her, but halted in the hallway leading to the kitchen. She looked back, her troubled gaze meeting Dimitri's.

It will be all right, lyubof maya, go with the woman and let me make things perfectly clear to these men-and your father.

Please don't hurt anyone-or get hurt. I couldn't stand that. She glanced at Gabriel. He was watching her-not Dimitri, and he had a frown on his face. She was disobeying him again. She ducked her head and turned to follow Antonietta.

We will come to an understanding, Skyler, your father and I. I thank you for defending

me. And stay away from the boy. He is jealous and capable of starting trouble he cannot conceive of.

Skyler didn't know what to say to that. Josef had acted jealous, but he wasn't enamored of her. She thought it more likely he was lonely-just as she was-and he didn't want to lose a friend.

It was dark in the kitchen and Antonietta forgot to turn on the lights, so Skyler tried to do so unobtrusively. «Gabriel's really angry with me this time. I did go off like an idiot, but my mind was so foggy. I could only think about getting to the wolf.»

Antonietta pulled orange juice from the cooler. «The wolf? Or Dimitri?»

Skyler frowned, rubbing at her temples. «I don't know. I thought Dimitri, but I followed the cry of the wolf.»

«And Dimitri wasn't the wolf?»

Skyler shuddered and shook her head. «The wolf appeared to be trapped in a steel claw, the leg bleeding. I wanted to help it, but then it changed into something hideous and Dimitri came and fought it.»

«That must have been terribly frightening.» Antonietta conveyed the information to Byron so he could tell the others. «It doesn't sound right to me,» she informed Skyler. «Here, sit down. You're still shaking.»

Skyler pulled out a chair and sank into it, shocked that her legs were so rubbery. «I tried to resist, but I didn't call Gabriel or Francesca for help and I should have.»

Antonietta sat opposite her. «It sounds a bit like a compulsion, don't you think? But how could a vampire have targeted you? He would have had to have access to your mind-your thoughts-in order to trap you with something familiar to you.»

«Earlier, I tried to trace a surge of power. It came from the direction of the hotel, so we all thought it was someone there, but whoever was using energy caught me, and maybe they touched my mind enough to know I love wolves.» She bit at her lip. «And that I was worried about Dimitri.»

They did not believe a strike would come so soon-or that it was a vampire. They believed someone from the human society was baiting a trap for her-at least that is the explanation they are giving her lifemate. He is angry and rightly so. He has the right to demand she be protected at all times, sheltered more than any other if they refuse to allow his claim at this time. Mikhail has no choice but to accede to his wishes. Byron exchanged the information with Antonietta, knowing she didn't like to be kept «in the dark» over anything. For so long her family had kept secrets from her. He refused to do so. His lifemate would have whatever knowledge he had at all times. He sent her warmth and love, reassurance that the child wouldn't be harmed.

I can feel her growing fear, Byron. They all need to be gentle with her. She nudged the glass of orange juice closer to Skyler's hand. «Drink. You'll feel better.»

Skyler sent her a small smile. «You're easy to talk to. The others just bellow and no one really listens. Josef was brave to interfere, but he isn't exactly telling the truth. He isn't lying, but he's making it sound as if Dimitri was doing something wrong.»

Deep inside, she shivered, remembering the feel of Dimitri's mouth against her skin, his tongue stroking velvet caresses over her wounds. Heat rushed through her veins, sent awareness into her deepest feminine core. Tiny sparks of electricity skipped over her skin and her breasts tingled. She blushed, grateful Antonietta couldn't see very well.

«Do you like Dimitri?» Antonietta asked.

«He confuses me. For one moment he seemed the most gentle man alive, and then he was like a demon, dangerous and ready to kill in an instant.»

«When he was fighting the vampire?»

Skyler shook her head. «I think I could have been okay with that, but no, with Josef. Josef is-just Josef. He's sweet and funny and way smarter than anyone gives him credit for. He would have fought for me and Dimitri is-big, strong. You saw him. Still, Josef thought to rescue me.»

«He should have called Byron and you should have called Gabriel,» Antonietta pointed out.

«I know.»

«Josef is going through a difficult period in his life. He spends far too much time interacting on the internet instead of with people. He needs better social skills. Meeting you and Josh after so many months of continual communication-it was like he had friends already.»

Skyler found Antonietta more difficult to read than most, but she was certain the conversation was about her and the way she hid from life as well as being about Josef. «Well, at least I won't have to worry about the vampire. He's dead now, so I'm safe and everyone, Josef included, can breathe easier.» She hoped the fact that Dimitri had destroyed the threat to her would keep Gabriel from being so angry.

She is very certain the threat to her is gone, Antonietta shared.

I very much doubt it. She was definitely targeted and this is the second time. Dimitri said the vampire had to have turned only a month or so earlier, that he hadn't grown into his powers. Most fledgling vampires are used as pawns by one far more powerful. We know they are in this area, and no fledgling would try to take on so many Carpathians. He was sent by someone else testing the waters.

Antonietta's hand fluttered gracefully to her throat. Then young Skyler is in more danger than ever. Surely someone will tell her. It is unfair to allow her to think she is safe. Really, Byron, I would want to know.

No doubt they will tell her when this mess is settled. I would not want to go up against Lucian and Gabriel, especially when they are united, but Dimitri has grown into a force to be reckoned with. He has taken on the Daratrazanoff brothers and invoked his rights. He wont back down at all, or give any concession. He blames Gabriel for allowing Skyler to be in danger, and truly, Antonietta, what can Gabriel say in response? It is his sole responsibility to keep her safe, as his daughter and certainly as Dimitri's lifemate. Whatever has taken place over the centuries, it has shaped Dimitri into a strong, lethal warrior. He means to force an order from Mikhail-or take her with him.

She's too young-too hurt. She needs time to heal, Byron.

I think Dimitri is aware of that. He's not pushing his claim to bind her, only that they comply with his every wish.

«You're talking to your lifemate, aren't you?» Skyler guessed shrewdly.

«Byron,» Antonietta supplied. «Yes, he's sharing information with me. We have a partnership. He promised me he would always treat me as an equal, and he does even when others think he shouldn't. I am used to a certain way of life and Byron has never asked me to give it up.»

«He makes you happy?»

«Very much so. I cannot imagine my life without him. I would have no life without him.»

«So what is going on in there? They're all pretty angry. None of them are working very hard to block their emotions.» Skyler raised her gaze to Antonietta's. The woman was looking back at her and seeing her-seeing more than Skyler wanted anyone to ever see. «It's because of me, isn't it?»

Antonietta's smile was gentle. She shook her head, drawing attention to the thick rope of hair plaited intricately. «It's because they are men. A vampire attacked one of their women and blame must be placed, strategy worked out. Mostly, it is a lot of hunters in close proximity to one another. They should just tell you they are going to have to guard you every moment and leave it up to your good sense to know they are right.»

«But-isn't the vampire dead? I saw Dimitri incinerate the heart.» Her pulse was pounding again. She was not facing another vampire.

«He was too easy to kill. That usually means another sent him out as an expendable pawn. If he got you, all to the good, but it is a distraction to draw our attention away from the real attack.»

Skyler took a small sip of the orange juice. It was never easy to eat or drink. Things always smelled good, but her stomach often rebelled. «Thank you for not treating me like a little kid. I'll be very careful. But you know-even though they've twice targeted me, it might simply be because I was convenient. They had a trail back to me. They knew what would trigger a response and they used it. Everyone is hovering around me, but they could be after the prince-or someone else important.»

Out of the mouths of babes. Byron responded when Antonietta relayed Skyler's comment. We will double our guard on Mikhail. It wont be easy, he doesn't like it.

«It's hard to know there is so much evil in the world,» Antonietta said. «I think most adults want to protect their children as long as possible from that knowledge.»

Skyler fiddled with glass, turning it first one way and then the other. «I learned it early and it isn't like I can go back and pretend it all away. I didn't want to do this-this Christmas thing. I've never had a Christmas.»

«With a tree and a pageant and Santa Claus coming?» Antonietta was astonished. «It is so much fun. A wonderful reason to bring the entire family together and celebrate life. Any excuse is great, and this is a perfect time of year.»

«That's what Francesca said.» Skyler leaned her chin into her palm, her elbow propped on the table. «Gregori is going to play Santa Claus. Have you ever seen him?»

«I've met him a few times. Byron and Jacques are good friends and Gregori visits Shea often. She's going to have her baby any time and everyone is very anxious about it. He doesn't seem a likely candidate to play the part.»

«That's an understatement.» A small smile slipped out for the first time. Skyler made a little face. «Wait until Sara and Corrine hear Gregori's going to be playing Santa. They've been getting all the children prepped for sitting on Santa's lap.»

Antonietta burst out laughing. «Oh, dear. That could be bad.»

«There's going to be a few crying children tonight,» Skyler predicted. She inhaled deeply, for the first time relaxing enough to notice her surroundings. «What is that I smell? It's wonderful.»

«My housekeeper gave me the recipe for a wonderful creamy pasta dish.» Antonietta laughed invitingly. «Josef and Byron helped me prepare it. You should have seen us. I couldn't really see the ingredients, so Byron read each off and Josef handed them to me.»

«Oh, no.» Skyler's smile flashed again, this time wider, reaching her eyes. «He probably didn't know what they were.»

«Neither did Byron. I didn't think about the fact that they wouldn't know what seasonings or anything else was for that matter. Our first attempt ended up in a hole in the backyard.»

«Francesca and I made gingerbread houses and we insisted Gabriel help us. It was fun to see him look so helpless. He's always so invincible.»

«That is a good thing, Skyler,» Antonietta pointed out. «I think the men are finished with their quiet and well-ordered discussion.»

There was a moment of silence, and then both women broke into laughter. Skyler waited a heartbeat and Gabriel was beside her. He held out his hand and she took it immediately. «I'm sorry, Gabriel. I really couldn't stop myself.»

«I know, baby. You are not in trouble, although I am thinking of tying you to my side. Francesca needs to see you. She's very anxious.»

Skyler nodded. «Where's Dimitri? You didn't fight with him, did you? You really do know that he saved my life?»

«It is difficult for one Carpathian to mislead another. Dimitri spoke the truth. He thought it best if he didn't upset you further.» Gabriel flashed a smile toward Antonietta, reached to take her hand and bow low over her fingers. «Antonietta, as always, it is a pleasure to see you. Thank you for looking after my daughter.»

«It was my pleasure,» Antonietta said. «She is welcome anytime.»

«Are we going to hear you play this evening?»

«They've asked me to play. I am not certain the children will appreciate it, but as I hear Gregori is to play the role of Santa Claus, it may be the only thing that soothes them.»

Josef raced into the room, tried to skid to a halt and knocked into Gabriel, who caught him by his shirtfront and steadied him. Josef didn't seem to notice. «Skyler! I was afraid you'd already left. Paul and Ginny are expecting us over at their house. We have to hurry. We promised Sara we'd help her with the costumes.»

«Skyler will have to meet you there,» Gabriel said firmly. «I'll bring her myself,» he added before either could protest. «Francesca wants to see her.»

Josef scowled. «You don't think I can take care of her.»

«No one needs to take care of me,» Skyler protested, glaring at Josef. «I'm not a baby.»

«He only meant keeping you safe from any outside harm,» Antonietta hastily intervened. «Josef, Skyler will meet you there in a few minutes. You be careful as well.» She smiled up at Byron as he materialized beside her, having escorted the other males out. He slipped his arm around her ultra feminine, curvaceous figure and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

They followed Gabriel and Skyler to the door to wave. Byron pulled Antonietta into his arms. «What is it? I could feel you becoming agitated, but I couldn't read why.» His hands

framed her face, thumbs sliding in a caress over her skin. «I'm sorry our house was invaded just when you were composing. I know it's very important for you to have quiet while you work.»

«That's not it. And besides, Josef is never quiet.» The young Carpathian stayed with them most of the time. He enjoyed Italy and the palazzo where they resided. Mostly, Antonietta thought he admired Byron and wanted to be close to him. There were times he got the exact same expression on his face and imitated Byron's gestures. Byron paid attention to him, worked with him on his Carpathian skills-showed an interest.

He exasperates me no end.

You love him and he feels that. He needs you.

Byron made gave an inelegant snort. «Josef, if you think for even one moment your life is in danger, you call me and every other male in the vicinity You have no business taking on a vampire at your age. You may have the courage, but not yet the skill.» He eyed the younger man with a stern eye. «Do I have your word?»

Josef nodded. «Yes.» He started out the door, then turned back toward Byron, tears glittering for a brief moment before he managed to control them. «I nearly got her killed, didn't I? I should have reached out the minute I saw the trapped wolf shifting. It all happened so fast.» He ducked his head. «I couldn't move. At all. I don't have courage, Byron. I was afraid.»

«You are supposed to be afraid. No one does everything right in their first encounter with a vampire. Dimitri is a hunter and a damn good one. He's been at it for centuries with no help, but I can assure you, his first vampire, he most likely froze just as you did.»

«Did you?»

A fleeting smile crossed Byron's face. «Jacques and I were together and feeling pretty cocky until the thing came out of thin air and showed us a mouthful of black, pointed teeth. I think we both had a heart attack on the spot.» He ruffled Josef's hair. «You did fine. And you did your best to protect her from Dimitri.»

«He wasn't just healing her,» Josef said. «It was blatant seduction.»

«He is her lifemate, Josef. You have to respect that.»

Josef scowled and slammed the door. Byron sighed. «So much for being any kind of good parent. I wish to hell my sister would take charge of that boy.»

«No, you don't.» Antonietta leaned into him, her soft breasts brushing his chest, fingers moving through his hair. «You love being an uncle.»

«He drives me crazy. I can't remember ever being that young.»

Antonietta twined her fingers through his as they made their way back through the house to the cozy den where they enjoyed sitting in peace together. Their household in Italy held a tremendous amount of responsibility. Antonietta's family resided with them and there was always drama.

«I feel the jaguar, Byron,» Antonietta confessed without looking at him. She pressed her hand to her chest. «Deep inside of me, she's there, responding to something in the air. She's –clawing at me. My eyesight is worse than usual, but I can see with jaguar eyes.»

Byron knew the Scarletti family-Antonietta's ancestors-came from a direct line of jaguar people. The cat had always been strong in her. He leaned forward, took both her hands in his and brought her fingers to his mouth. «When did this start?»

«A few hours ago. At first I just felt restless and edgy, but now it feels more like moodiness, wanting to strike out, a wildness I can't really adequately explain.» She looked miserable. «I thought I was through with all that.»

«You are Carpathian, Antonietta, and everything jaguar isn't evil. There are some that make it that way, but right now, what's more important is what is stirring up the cat in you.» He glanced out the window to the storm clouds. «It's only a couple of hours until we meet the villagers for this pageant and meal at the inn. We have to be ready for any danger coming our way.»

She swept a hand through her hair. «I've always been able to control the jaguar, but she's fighting me, trying to escape, and I think…» Her eyes met his. «I think she's dangerous.»

«You'd never hurt anyone, Antonietta,» he assured.

«You don't understand. She's trying to hurt me. I'm not letting her out and she's angry.»

Byron's gaze narrowed and he sat up straighten He sent every sense flaring out into the night, scanning, reading, trying to find a subtle strain of power influencing the part of Antonietta that was jaguar. He could feel a small stir in the air, but with so many Carpathians together, it was impossible to tell if the shift in the air was manipulating the cat in his lifemate.

«I heard a rumor that the Dark Troubadours are having trouble with the leopards they brought with them,» he said. «The cats attacked one of the band members and threatened several others. They've caged them and they've never had to do that. Even Darius is having trouble controlling the cats' behavior.»

Antonietta frowned. «What would do that? And what of the others? Isn't one of the Carpathian males with a woman who is fully jaguar? What's happening to her?»

«Yes, Juliette. There is also Natalya, Vikirnoff's woman. The tiger is strong in her.» Byron pulled Antonietta into his arms to comfort her. «Come with me.»

«Where?» He was moving her toward the door and her heart fluttered in fear. «Byron, I don't want to chance it.»

«The cat will know where the power is coming from. She can trace it straight back to its source.»

«But I'm not certain I'm strong enough to control the jaguar.» In all her human years with the cat inside her, always fighting to come out, she had never been afraid of the animal. Until now. She shivered. The snow once more was beginning to drift down, but it was fear more than cold that made her shiver.

«We can control it together. Keep your mind merged with mine at all times, even if the cat resists,» he said.

For some reason, memories of the conversion washed over her. It had been particularly difficult and painful, the jaguar fighting the Carpathian blood. Sweat broke out. «Byron, are you sure?»

«If you are afraid we cannot control this thing together, I'll call Jacques. Together, nothing will defeat us. You cannot go to the party under an influence we know nothing about.»

She reached for Byron's mind with her own, sliding in with ease. It was an extremely intimate thing to do, and as always, her body reacted to the closeness. She was woman enough to enjoy his erotic thoughts and images of her, the way he viewed her full curves with lust rather than wishing for a thinner, more modern woman. He loved her hair, the thickness and color. He especially enjoyed taking out the elaborate braid just before he made love to her.

It took a moment to adjust to two minds vying for supremacy, but they merged naturally and Antonietta reached for the beast, embracing the jaguar, allowing it freedom. It sprang forward, claws unsheathed, with a chaotic need to bound across the snow-covered meadow for the trees. Byron paced easily beside her, ignoring the warnings rumbling from the female. He was not about to let Antonietta out of his sight.

The female jaguar slowed to a walk, placing each paw delicately in the powdery snow, but moving without hesitation deeper into the woods. They were moving in the general direction of the inn, but were still several miles away. To Byron's knowledge, there were only a couple of homes in the direction they were going. Gregori's home was high in the mountains, surrounded by a grove of trees and large boulders. It was protected from weather and enemies on three sides, and even a hiker walking within yards of it wouldn't be able to spot it. Gregori had woven safeguards around it to further distort the image from any potential enemy.

Jacques and Shea lived in the second house. It too was very secluded. Jacques still needed a space between him and the rest of the population. Shea and Savannah were close

friends and often visited each other, but even their homes were miles apart. Jacques had built a very elegant house almost into the mountain itself, so even from the air, it was impossible to see.

The cat lifted its head and scented the air several times. She is searching for a particular scent.

What is it? Byron could feel the urgent compulsion in the cat, but he couldn't find the thread driving it.

Antonietta didn't answer him right away, and when she did it was with some reluctance. She is hunting prey.

The female jaguar pushed off with her hind feet and sprang up onto a fallen log, pausing for a moment to look toward the mountain:, toward Gregori's home, and then turned her head in the direction of the other house.

Deep inside the body of the jaguar, Antonietta gasped. Byron! Did you feel that surge? The eagerness?

What is she after?

The baby. She's after Shea's baby. That means Darius's leopards are being pushed to attack Shea. Whoever it is doesn't know about me. The compulsion is directed at the cats.

Byron reached out on the private link he shared with his childhood friend. Jacques. Hear me now. He shared the information, the feelings Antonietta was experiencing as well as their fears. We have to give this information to all Carpathians, but once we do, Shea will hear. Do you need time to break it to her gently?

Byron hated to add to the couple's stress level. Both were terrified of the upcoming birth –and rightly so. Now they had to worry about an enemy who could manipulate animals and was doing so with the specific intent of harming their child.

Spread the word, Byron. We must find this enemy before Shea gives birth. I fear it will be this night. There was a small silence, and then Jacques sighed. She is already fighting it, wanting to keep our son safe inside the womb.

You are certain it is a boy?

Yes. I have a son. He is strong and wants to come out into the world, but Shea has been holding him back. Knowing an enemy has specifically targeted our child makes it more difficult.

She has my protection as well. I stand by your side, ready to fight.

We thank you, my old friend. There was weariness in Jacques's voice. Please thank

Antonietta. It must have been difficult for her to get her cat to reveal this information. Without her effort we would not know an enemy is about to strike. Shea sends her thanks as well.

Byron shared the response with his lifemate as they both exerted pressure on the jaguar to turn back toward home. Immediately, the warning went out to all Carpathians on their common path of communication, and he felt a surge of pride in Antonietta.

The female snarled, resisting the order. Byron moved in closer, and at once Antonietta responded, catching his thought. There were much more pleasant ways to distract the cat than fighting it. Byron quickly shifted forms. The male jaguar shouldered the female, rubbing his chin along her back, and the female sprang away from him, throwing an enticing look over her shoulder. They raced back to the house, heat overcoming the need for prey.

By the time they shifted back to their own forms, their arms were wound tightly around one another, mouths welded together, and his hands were deftly pulling the intricate weave from her hair.

Chapter 11

Juliette De La Cruz paced restlessly back and forth across the kitchen tiles. Her body felt too tight for her own skin. It was impossible to control her mind as it flipped channels, a chaotic whirl from subject to subject. She couldn't seem to stay focused on anything at all– not even the fruit and melon salad she was making for tonight's celebration.

She missed her sister and cousin. This would be her first holiday without them. She'd invited them, but as always, they'd refused to have anything to do with the De La Cruz men. It wasn't as if she blamed them, but Juliette could have used their company. Outside the window, the snowflakes drifted, turning the world around her into a peaceful, quiet realm, but her body and mind were out of control.

It was hot. Too hot. She unbuttoned her blouse and tied the ends together in a knot beneath her generous breasts. She lifted the heavy fall of hair from her neck and paced around the small kitchen once again. If you don't come home soon, I'm going for a run. I need… She reached out to her lifemate, but she didn't know what she needed. Her body wanted his-but it always did. She just couldn't become calm.

Deep inside, she felt her cat moving, struggling for supremacy. Juliette was part jaguar and even after the conversion, her cat was strong, but she was always able to control her. Now even her cat wanted out-wanted freedom.

Breathe. The word was whispered in her mind. Soft. Intimate. Warm. You always forget to breathe.

She knew she was alone in the kitchen. Her beloved lifemate, Riordan, had gone to see

his brothers. Riordan and Juliette had traveled from South America and had arrived in the early morning hours. Riordan hadn't had a chance to see his brother, Manolito, who had been injured in a battle.

I'm breathing. I wish you were here. There was a blatant invitation in her voice. Riordan was very good at putting the heat in her blood with one whisper of his seductive voice. «I'm making this fruit salad. You're supposed to be helping me.» Her breasts tingled and seemed heavy and aching. She had the full, curvy figure of a woman. Her waist was small, but her breasts and hips were generous and right now every square inch of her skin burned. She wanted him. Right there. That moment. He had to come back or she was going to have to throw herself in the snow to cool down.

I am on my way. Let me make my good-byes. It must be the fruit salad you are making. I think fruit turns you on.

Only what one can do with it. Juliette laughed, but there was little amusement in her. Her body was too edgy. The De La Cruz brothers seemed to be very sexual creatures, and she fit right in, needing Riordan, welcoming the many inventive ways he made love, but she'd never felt so edgy, so desperate.

She ran some water and dribbled it down the valley between her breasts, glancing out the window as she did so. No one was there. She was completely alone. She scanned often as Riordan had taught her, but she still felt as if someone watched her. Juliette tried to shake off the feeling, fearing it was leftover paranoia from her days kidnapping women back from jaguar males. She would never get over the constant vigilance needed to stay safe in the jungle. Looking out the window, she scanned again, just to be certain, taking great care to track any movement in the area around the cabin-even animals-but there was no one even close to her house.

Juliette? Jacques sent the word that someone is trying to use the leopards to attack Shea and her unborn child. Whoever is doing this is unaware of the jaguar strain running in some of the women. It is strong in you. Are you having trouble?

Juliette sighed with relief. She could handle her jaguar if the cat was what was causing her to be so moody and edgy and paranoid. Yes. But I've been dealing with my cat all my life and I'm in control of her. When her cat went into heat, it was especially difficult to maintain control and that could be the unexpected problem. She should have thought of that.

Be careful, Juliette.

She smiled to herself as she gathered up the melon peels. Of course he just had to have the last word, to give her some sort of a command. He'd spent too much time alone with his brothers in South America, or maybe the De La Cruz brothers were all just plain bossy with their women-well, okay-with everyone around them. They liked their women submissive, yet neither she nor Colby, Rafael's lifemate, were in the least bit unassuming.

From her perspective at least, that made for a fiery and very interesting sexual relationship.

Catching up the bowl of rinds, she carried them outside into the thick grove of trees surrounding the house. The moment she stepped into the night air, the cat inside her stirred, unsheathed claws and looked up toward the mountains-toward Jacques's residence. She reprimanded the cat with a warning snarl and pushed it ruthlessly down. The cat tried again, rubbing against her insides, spreading a fire that only Riordan could put out.

So that's the way it is. We've been too long without our mate.

Her hair whipped across her face with a strong gust of wind. She pulled down the thick, dark strands and tossed the rinds for the deer. Everything in her froze, the smile fading abruptly as she stared down in shocked horror at the track marks in the snow. Her mouth went dry as she took a cautious look around. Her heart began to slam hard and for one awful moment, her legs went rubbery.

Riordan? How far away are you?

What is it? He felt her fear more than heard it, and already he was striding through his brother's house, calling to the other men, ready to take to the air.

Jaguar tracks. Male. How can that be? I was throwing melon scraps out for the deer and the tracks are all around the house. He was staring in the window while I was making the salad. She stayed still, almost afraid to move, her gaze quartering the area, paying particular attention to the trees.

The Dark Troubadours brought their leopards, Juliette. His voice was soothing. Perhaps you are mistaken and one of the leopards was investigating our house.

She brought her teeth together in a sharp snap. Don't patronize me! I know the difference. I've tracked jaguar all my life and I don't make mistakes. I know a jaguar track and I know when a male has been in the vicinity. I can scent him as well. I'm telling you one of them is here, in the mountains, and there's only one reason he'd be here.

Get in the house. I'm on my way, coming to you now.

No, the tracks lead away from the house. I'm going to follow him. Antonietta has the ability to shift into a jaguar as well. I don't know if any of the other women can as well, but if they can, they could be in as much danger as I am. It stands to reason that several of them carry the blood whether they can shapeshift or not. It would explain their strong psychic abilities.

Juliette. He put warning into his voice, displeasure.

She ignored him as if she hadn't heard him. I can't believe one of them came here with so many Carpathian males around. They must be getting desperate. What if they followed us? What if I brought this danger on these people?

Don't panic. I'll be there soon. Go into the house. He repeated it, this time making it a command. Not all jaguar males belong to the group kidnapping females.

You and I both know if he's here lurking around the house, he's after a woman who can shapeshift. I'm not allowing what happened to my baby sister to happen to anyone else. I'm tracking him.

Already, she was calling up her cat for the change. Before her conversion to Carpathian, the change from human form to jaguar had been slow and painful, but it was much easier now. Before, she could call on her jaguar heritage only for short periods of time and shift, but it was always difficult, and even more so to hold that form for very long. Now she could do it effortlessly for hours on end.

If someone is influencing the cats in an attempt to get them to attack Shea and her unborn child, it may be too dangerous for you to use that form. You said you were having trouble. He used any excuse he could think of to stall her.

I've been restless and edgy, and yes, my jaguar has been clawing at me to let her loose, but no jaguar male could influence us that way.

He could if he was psychic.

I would know. I spent my life fighting them in the jungle, Riordan. In any case, I'm perfectly capable of controlling my cat. I've been doing it all my life-even when she's edgy and needs a mate.

You better never let her loose when she needs a mate-unless you re coming to me. Now wait for me.

She reached for her wild side, allowing her jaguar to completely take over her body. Spotted fur slid over her skin. Muscles and tendons contracted and stretched, stiletto-sharp claws sprang from her curving hands and her face elongated to accommodate the jaguar muzzle and teeth. She dropped to all fours, already running smoothly. Roped muscles and a flexible spine allowed the stocky jaguar to leap from boulder to log and even take to the tree branches when necessary.

I forbid this, Riordan bit out, his hiss of anger sliding into her mind with a black swirl.

Then it's a good thing no one can boss me around. Juliette had fought most of her life against the jaguar males. They kidnapped women with the ability to shapeshift and stole any child resulting in the union. Juliette had stayed in the forest working with other women to try to help, but in the end she'd lost her mother and aunt to the jaguars, and eventually they had captured Jasmine, her sister. She couldn't allow any woman to fall into their hands.

Riordan was a strong Carpathian male and had lived for centuries in South America, adopting the Latin possessive and protective nature toward women, which compounded the already overbearingly dominant traits of his species. She knew he was furious at the idea

she could be in danger and he wasn't with her, and he was also angry with her for her refusal to do as he ordered.

Rafael will come with me. We will find this male.

Good. Then I'll have backup. I suggest you hurry.

He sent her a low growl and the impression of strangling her. Juliette ignored him and raced across the snow as lightly as possible, covering the male's tracks, scenting the forest air. Her jaguar fought her for a moment, trying to turn in the direction of the mountains, but she held the cat to its course, moving fast in an effort to overtake the male.

How long had he been outside her house watching her make her fruit salad for the party? She had been insistent that Riordan go visit his brother since Manolito had been injured. It had never occurred to her that she might run into a jaguar male here in the Carpathian Mountains-especially with all the protective males surrounding the women and guarding them as if they were all precious treasures.

You are a precious treasure, Juliette, although I'm considering beating you into submission.

I would cut off body parts when you slept.

That would be a problem. In spite of the gravity of the situation, amusement welled up between them.

Juliette felt a surge of love. She had never thought she would find a man-least of all a very dominating one-she could love and respect. Her life had been all about fighting men, but Riordan valued and cherished her. He always put her first, even when he was attempting to order her around. And in truth, it was nice to be able to rely on someone. Riordan was totally reliable. He would come and he would bring others.

She moved with confidence, staying low, aware the jaguar male could be luring her into a trap. Where there was one, there were often more, especially if they had come for a female-and that was likely. The male had veered toward the south, moving quickly through any open spaces, trying to stay to the trees for cover.

I cannot detect him when I scan.

Riordan swore. Juliette, get out of there. I'm telling you to break off and wait for us. We're so close, but you could be running into a trap.

I cannot allow him to get near the other women. He's circling around now and heading toward Rafael's house. Go back, Riordan. Colby has her brother and sister and their friends there. Panic edged her voice. She was still a distance away and she was fairly certain Riordan and Rafael were coming toward her. They would miss the jaguar male and he would have free access to the women and teens at the house.

Colby will protect the children. She is aware of the danger and is taking precautions. Just stop where you are, Riordan coaxed.

Juliette hesitated. What would be the best thing to do to ensure the male didn't grab anyone? She turned slightly, standing in a lower dip, lifting her head to scent the air again. Instantly the musky odor of male cat filled her lungs. Her head swung in the direction, but it was far too late. He was a mere blur, rushing at her with full speed. The much heavier male slammed into her side, cracking ribs and driving her from her feet. He was on her in a second, going for her throat, claws raking her sides, tearing deep lacerations. She tried to use her teeth, sinking them into the jaguar's leg, but for some reason, her teeth didn't really penetrate. She couldn't get a grip on him. The blood was hot, stinging and burning the inside of her mouth and muzzle.

She had fought many males, but this one was incredibly strong. Even with her amazing agility, she couldn't get out from under him. She kept her throat protected, but he raked her chest, dug at her soft belly with his back paws. She tried a roll, her smaller body squirming out from under his, but his teeth clamped hard on her shoulder, the long canines puncturing her skin to tear through muscle and tissue.

Submit to him. Riordan snapped the order.

No! Never. She'd force the male to kill her first. I'd rather die than let him put his filthy hands on me.

Riordan swore and gripped her mind, ruthlessly taking control. He was far stronger than she'd ever expected and he forced obedience, the female jaguar lying still beneath the male's raking claws and teeth. Look at him. Look him straight in the eyes. Even as Riordan gave the command, he was forcing her compliance, dictating to her brain what he wanted the female jaguar to do.

Juliette lay in the snow, bleeding from dozens of wounds, her sides heaving, her ribs on fire, staring into the triumphant yellow gaze of pure evil. There was cunning intelligence looking back at her. She let the submissive terror of the female jaguar show in her eyes, although deep inside she felt Riordan waiting for the perfect moment to strike. She wasn't alone, she could do this. Riordan could destroy him through her. One less jaguar male to terrorize the females. She waited for the male to touch her, shuddering with distaste, but willing to be the sacrifice if Riordan could put an end to his life.

The male jaguar leaned closer, bending over her. His face contorted, chest and arms beginning to change. His muzzle receded to be replaced by a bullet-shaped head, skin pulled tight over a skull. The slash of mouth yawned wide revealing brown-stained teeth, razor-sharp and pointed.

Juliette's heart skipped a beat, then began to pound in utter terror. She felt Riordan's shock, heard his warning broadcast to the other Carpathians. Not jaguar-vampire. Instantly she began to shift, bringing up both legs up to kick hard. Her feet, in the midst of

the change hit the vampire in the chest. Nothing happened. He didn't even rock back. It was like hitting concrete, and the shock jarred her entire body. She tried to roll away from him, but one contorted hand caught her, sharp talons driving through her shoulder like spikes, pinning her to the ground.

He rose above her, a dark oily thing of utter evil, smirking at her in a macabre way. One finger lengthened into a talon. He breathed on it, and leaned down, all the while grinning with deliberate malice, tracing a smile around her throat. She felt the wash of hot blood gush over her neck and down her chest. Then the burn started, a fiery acid invading her skin and tissues, swelling until the pain became agony. The vampire bent and began to lick at her throat. He lapped greedily, then bit down hard, sinking long spiked teeth deep into her skin, growling as he tore at her flesh.

Pain blurred her vision, but Juliette never took her gaze from the top of her attacker's head. It was the only part of him she could see as he bent over her. She could feel Riordan concentrating, focusing, coiled and ready to strike. She knew that others were close, but only Riordan was within striking distance through her. She felt energy gathering, building until the air around her fairly crackled with it. Beneath her the snow began to melt. The vampire was too busy, feeding at the gushing well he'd opened.

Riordan struck with tremendous force, the blow hard and decisive. The vampire's skull cracked in long thin lines, splitting with a terrible crunching sound. Maggots poured out and the vampire screamed, leaping away from her, his eyes red-rimmed, his face smeared with her blood. Spittle spewed from his mouth as he raged at her. He kicked at her body, sending her flying across the snow. She hit a tree and dropped into a crumpled heap. She couldn't drag air into her lungs. Every part of her body felt on fire.

Juliette tried to push herself up, knowing he was coming for her. She couldn't quite get her legs under her, so she tried to crawl away, dragging herself toward the trees, nearly mindless with pain.

Hands touched her throat. Pushed something into the gaping wound. She looked up into the face of her brother-in-law. Juliette couldn't stop the tears. She bit down hard to keep from crying out as Rafael gathered her into the safety of his arms.

«It is all right now, little sister. Riordan will destroy it.»

It took a tremendous effort to turn her head toward the vampire. Her neck and throat, in spite of the soothing pack Rafael had placed on her, felt raw and on fire, but she needed to see the vampire killed or he would haunt her dreams for all times.

Riordan dropped out of the sky straight onto the vampire's back. The beast rose up, snarling, fighting, a whirling demon of claws and teeth, shredding skin, and trying to crack bones. Riordan was far calmer. He locked his legs around the vampire's neck and slammed his fist deep, punching a hole as he drove through the back toward the heart.

The undead contorted, tried to become insubstantial mist, but Riordan was already locked on him. The vampire threw himself over backward, slamming Riordan into the ground, nearly breaking his neck. Riordan had no choice but to evaporate beneath him, streaking around to the front, already reshaping as he plunged his fist toward the heart, this time through the chest.

The vampire retaliated in kind, desperate to get away, striking the hunter's chest wall, cracking bones, breaking through skin.

Juliette, locked with Riordan, felt the blow to her own body, pain spreading fast, robbing her of breath and sanity. Just as abruptly, it was cut off and she was no longer merged with Riordan, but left alone with the agony of her own wounds and fear for her lifemate uppermost in her mind.

A second male arrived, then a third. She recognized the family features and knew one of the men must be Manolito, Rafael and Riordan's brother. The other was definitely Mikhail Dubrinsky, prince of the Carpathian people. She coughed, trying to talk. «Help him.» She was certain she managed to get the words past her raw, gaping throat, but no one rushed to aid Riordan. They seemed more concerned with her.

«We are helping him,» Rafael soothed. «Your life is too important to take chances with and Riordan is quite capable of killing the vampire.»

«We need the richest soil possible,» Mikhail said. «Someone has healed a portion of earth where the battle recently took place. The soil there is dark and lush with minerals. Get that and bring it to the healing cave. If someone can locate the woman with the talent to heal the soil, bring her as well. I've sent word to Gregori and Francesca. They will meet us there.»

No one paid attention to Riordan and the vampire. Juliette felt desperate to reach him– to touch him with her mind. She could no longer see her lifemate, Rafael was taking her through the air to some cave she didn't want to be in. As hard as she tried to, she couldn't find her voice again and she didn't dare distract Riordan by using their telepathic link.

Carpathians began arriving, crowding close, answering the call to aid one of their kind. It was frightening to be among so many strangers-so many males. She had done this-with her headstrong nature. The vampire had used her worst fears against her and she'd fallen right into the trap. Had she broadcast her fears? How had he known she would follow a jaguar male? And now Riordan was in danger and no one seemed to care. She shoved at Rafael, tried to struggle, but her arms felt like leaden weights. Where was her strength? And why was her vision so hazy? Everything seemed vague and far away to her.

«Juliette!» Rafael's voice was sharp and commanding.

She'd always thought him far too overbearing, and would have told him so, but she seemed to be drifting, her surroundings cloudy.

«Juliette.» He hissed her name. «Riordan needs you. Come back now!»

That brought her up short. Of course she could focus for Riordan, but why was Rafael holding her to him instead of allowing her to go to her lifemate? Nothing was making sense and the pain was too great. She closed her eyes, wanting to let go and just drift away.