Dark Wolf

6

Skyler glanced around her. The trees towered above her, branches swaying and dancing in the wind. She’d been hobbling around for several hours, and no one had come to rescue her. It had been a long shot, they all knew that, but they had to try. She could follow the psychic trail, knowing it would eventually lead to Dimitri. Truthfully, that’s what she’d been doing, mile after mile, but wandering as if she was trying to find her way. Several times she took care to turn in different directions, starting out, going a distance and then turning back as if confused.

Her ankle was throbbing. Josef had ensured that it wasn’t just a little sprain. He wanted her to appear as no threat to anyone at all. It would be dark in a few hours and Josef would come for her. She followed the sound of water, struggling over the uneven ground and exposed roots. Little animals scurried in the vegetation, rushing for the shelter of brush and leaves in an effort to avoid her.

Twice she thought she saw that little fox. Intellectually she knew it couldn’t be the same one, but she told herself he was her guardian, watching out for her. That would be something Dimitri might do for her. Her heart seemed to always melt a little when she thought of him. He had watched over her for years, so selflessly, and hobbling around on a sore ankle, terrified she might really come in contact with a strange man, seemed a small price to pay for his steadfast loyalty and love.

She made her way to the small ribbon of a stream and found a large enough rock to sit down on. It was close to the running water as it bubbled over the smaller pebbles, making its way down a slight slope.

The moment she sank down onto the rock and leaned down to remove her boot, she knew she wasn’t alone. A chill went down her spine and she lifted her head and carefully looked around. Paul, can you see me? She made certain that her telepathic path to Paul had clean lines so that no Lycan could discern it or feel the psychic energy. She let her gaze move from tree to tree, a woman lost and alone and scared there in the forest. Unfortunately, the emotion was all too real.

I’m here, honey, I’ve got you covered.

Do you see anyone?

No. Do you?

He’s here. I can feel him. Which was strange, because according to Josef, no Carpathian could sense a Lycan. She wasn’t even Carpathian—she was human—and yet she knew with a certainty that someone was there. The only explanation could be that Mother Earth had passed her so much information that she was tuned to the rhythm of nature.

Maybe it wasn’t a Lycan watching. Maybe it was a real wolf pack hunting her. Or worse. Was there worse? Her imagination was getting the better of her. Paul had a gun and he would protect her. She just had to hold on to that.

She unzipped her boot and pulled it off, playing the part of the lost intern, her foot swollen and bruised and hurting. A human would be nervous, but would never know someone was out there watching every move. She could feel those eyes burning through her. Her heart began to pound and her mouth went dry.

She knew terror. Real terror, and right now, she had to fight it off. She was no longer a child to be abused sexually or physically or even emotionally. She was a grown woman with power of her own. With friends. With an ancient hunter for a lifemate, and he needed her. Dimitri needed her to be strong. She took several deep breaths, fighting off the need to put her head between her legs to keep from feeling so light-headed. Her body shivered continuously, and there seemed little she could do to prevent it.

As a child she had retreated to a place in her mind where no one could harm her. She didn’t have that luxury now, no matter how frightened she was. If the fear became too great, Dimitri would know. She didn’t want him any more upset than he already was. Skyler forced herself under control. She could do this. She’d planned every move out carefully. She had been a helpless child when evil men had dominated her life, but she was no child—and she sure wasn’t helpless. She straightened her shoulders, determination settling deep.

A twig snapped and she spun around to see a tall, broad-shouldered man striding out of the forest. He had to be Lycan to move with that easy fluid grace and absolute confidence. His eyes were the color of mercury with a glittering, piercing, very focused stare that seemed to look right through her. Her mouth went a little dry. He was rough-looking—and tough. Clearly he’d seen many battles.

He wore a long coat that fell to his ankles, but flared out, giving him plenty of room to fight. She could see the trousers and shirt were loose enough to move, but tight enough not to get caught on anything. His chest was thick and rippled with muscles beneath the thin shirt. His arms could have been those of a bodybuilder, but she would bet everything she had that he’d never been anywhere near a gym. When he moved she caught the glitter of silver from the many weapons he carried inside his coat and around his belt.

She tried to rise, clutching her boot like a weapon. He held up both hands as if to show he didn’t mean her harm, that he’d come in peace. He halted a small distance from her.

“I came across your tracks about an hour ago. What are you doing out here alone?” he asked in Russian.

Skyler pressed her lips together as if wondering if she could trust him or not. “I’m an intern, working for the All Things Wolf Foundation.” She spoke in halting Russian, although she spoke the language fluently. “I was setting up a camera and I got turned around.”

“Are you English?” He spoke in English, moving a little closer to her.

Skyler lifted her boot in a reflex action. It seemed a little silly since she was certain he was Lycan and could move far faster than she could, but still, she couldn’t help herself.

She nodded, switching to English as well. “I twisted my ankle. I thought if I put it in the cold of the stream it would give me a little relief.”

“You’re far from your camp.”

Her face brightened. “Do you know where it is? Which direction? I know I could find it if I wasn’t so turned around. Everything starts looking the same after a while.”

“Didn’t they tell you not to go wandering off by yourself?” the Lycan asked. “My name is Zev Hunter. What’s yours?”

He sounded friendly enough. He didn’t appear particularly hungry, as if he had been searching for a meal. “Skyler,” she answered, suddenly remembering she couldn’t provide a surname. He would recognize Daratrazanoff.

“I’d like to take a look at your ankle, but I’d rather not get clobbered over the head by that wicked-looking boot.”

She forced herself to lower her boot to her side. “I’m sorry. You startled me. It never occurred to me that anyone would be out in these woods. The others are probably out looking for me right now. There are only three of us at the moment, but more will be bringing in supplies in a few days. We came early to set up camp.” She talked fast, a woman still nervous and chatting too much.

He crouched low, one hand reaching for her ankle. Around his wrist was a strip of cloth, bloodied as if he’d been seriously wounded. Relief swept through her. Dimitri told her one of the Lycans had shown compassion and had given him blood. This had to be that same one. Dimitri had definitely put the idea in his head to go looking for Fen and a rescue party.

She couldn’t help herself. She inhaled deeply, reaching for Dimitri’s woodsy scent. It was faint, but she caught it, still lingering on the Lycan’s wrist. She took that familiar scent into her lungs and just held it there, suddenly desperate to see him.

“Your ankle is very swollen. This must hurt.”

“I walked more than I should have on it,” Skyler admitted, putting one hand on his shoulder to steady herself. Deliberately she wobbled and clutched his arm a little lower to keep from falling.

Her heart began to beat hard again. In her fist was the tiny little tracking device Josef had made. She just needed an opportunity to sweep her hand down that coat to one of the side pockets. She had a feeling this particular man would be tough to fool.

“The cold stream will be good for it,” Zev told her. “We’ll give it a few minutes, and then I’ll take you back to your camp. It isn’t safe in these woods. The forest is home to many predators and you’re just about snack size for some of them. The very wolf pack you’re trying to study would be happy to give you a firsthand experience.”

Skyler managed a small smile. “I have a very vivid imagination. Believe me, I thought of that many times.”

She sank down onto the rock, allowing her hand to naturally brush down his coat as if she was still unsteady and afraid of falling. The flap was over the pocket but she was well versed in making small objects obey her. The flap lifted and the transfer was smooth and complete.

Josef had told her many times that he couldn’t feel her energy when she used her art on objects, but still, she held her breath, afraid this very savvy Lycan would pick it up.

“You can’t be very old; why would your parents allow you to come to such a remote area where it’s so dangerous?” His concern was genuine.

Skyler smiled again, this time more naturally. “I just look very young. I’m actually twenty-five. I’ve got my degree and am working toward my master’s. I volunteer at the various wildlife research centers as a way to travel. I mean, I’m genuinely interested in the work, but I’ve gotten to go to so many countries and see many amazing places, as well as meet some very cool people.”

Zev raised his eyebrow. “In a million years I wouldn’t have guessed your age. If anything, I thought maybe fourteen or fifteen.”

Skyler shrugged. “I get that all the time. At least I’ve reached the fourteen or fifteen mark instead of the ten or twelve.”

He laughed, suddenly relaxing. The tension completely eased from his body and he sank down into the grass beside her while she bathed her swollen ankle in the icy stream.

“That must be annoying, having everyone tell you you look so young.”

“In some ways. Especially when I’m traveling. There are a lot of creeps in the world and having some man who preys on children . . .” She trailed off, realizing genuine anger had crept into her voice.

Zev was quick. She saw knowledge in his eyes and knew she’d given away too much information. Cursing silently to herself, she idly picked up a pebble and tossed it downstream.

“The forest is oppressive at times, isn’t it?” she asked. “I find it so beautiful, all the colors, but sometimes it’s hard to breathe when you’re deep in the middle of it.”

His eyes focused on her, all that piercing intelligence. She had to fight to stay relaxed. He looked as if he could see right into her soul. “You’re very sensitive.”

“That’s what my mother always says,” Skyler said. That much was true. Francesca said it all the time. She indicated his hand. Let him fish around for something plausible. “What happened to you?”

Zev didn’t so much as flinch. He lifted his wrist for her inspection. “I was working and got a little careless. I tore my wrist on a nail. It’s not a big deal but it was deep enough to bleed a lot. I put this cloth around it and it stopped.”

“There’s a first-aid kit at the camp. When we get there, I could put some antibiotic cream on it so the laceration doesn’t get infected.”

He nodded. “If we don’t run out of time. We should get moving soon or night will fall. Here in the forest it tends to get dark fast.”

She was happy to get moving. The faster they made camp, the faster she could heal her ankle and set out to follow the Lycan back to Dimitri.

“Do you live close by?”

“I’m camping with some friends a few kilometers from here,” Zev explained. “Although I’ve been coming to these woods since I was a boy, so I’m very familiar with them.”

She frowned at him as she pulled her throbbing foot from the stream. Her wince was very genuine. She was going to have to throttle Josef for making her injury so real. “You don’t hunt here, do you? The wolves are protected in this preserve.” She managed her most schoolmarmish voice, the one that always made Josef sit up and take notice—or topple over in gales of laughter.

“Sometimes with a camera, although when we were kids, we hunted for food. Not wolves, but other creatures, mostly wild fowl, partridge, things we could manage when we were pretty small. If we killed it, we had to carry it.”

He was telling the absolute truth, which was why he was so good at intrigue. He mixed truth with implication—not outright lies. She tried to pull her boot back over her swollen ankle. It hurt like hell.

“I’ll carry you.”

“You will not,” Skyler said. “I can walk. Just give me a minute to get my boot back on.” Who knew what a Lycan might discern that close? “How far away is the camp? Have I been walking in circles? Sometimes I was pretty certain I’d been to the same place more than once.”

“I thought all you researchers always carried a GPS with you.”

She called on her mad nonexistent acting skills to blush, her long lashes sweeping down deliberately. “We’re supposed to. It’s my first time with this group and my partners are both . . .” She trailed off, doing her best to look ashamed and guilty.

“Men,” he finished for her. Zev took the boot from her hands and gently eased it over her ankle.

“I know I don’t have anything to prove, and this isn’t going to get me off to a good start, but I guess I wanted to look good. I got up early and set up the cameras. In my haste to be helpful, I completely forgot the GPS. It’s probably still clipped to my hammock.”

He stood up and reached down to lift her easily into his arms, ignoring her protest. “I’m sorry, young Skyler, but it’s getting late. I need to be somewhere and I’ve got to get you back to your camp.”

She had no choice but to be gracious. In any case, she hadn’t been looking forward to walking on her swollen ankle. “Thanks, Zev, I appreciate it, although I feel a little silly.”

“Walking around alone in these woods is silly,” he said sternly.

Skyler was used to being around physically strong men. Gabriel, her adopted father, was extremely strong, being Carpathian. Dimitri certainly was. Even Josef, as young as he was, had the Carpathian strength, but Zev was amazing. He moved through the forest absolutely sure-footed. He was graceful even. He didn’t breathe hard and he never once acted as if he needed a rest. He was born and bred for the forest, and he was every bit as strong as a Carpathian.

She closed her eyes and breathed evenly, opening her mind a little at a time to try to take in, to absorb the feel of a Lycan through every sense she had. She recognized the way he moved from what Mother Earth had revealed to her earlier. He barely made a sound, a soft whisper, no more, as his clothing occasionally brushed against leaves. He was so quiet they startled wildlife they came upon.

She felt the mechanics of him, the steel-like but flexible framework and the muscles moving beneath his civilized clothing. She even began to absorb the field around him that protected his energy from leaking out and giving him away in a hunt—or battle.

He was a good man. She got that much from him, but he was lethal and wouldn’t hesitate to kill if necessary. She wouldn’t want him coming after her. That thought was frightening and she couldn’t help the little shiver that went down her spine. Of course he noticed instantly.

“We’re nearly there. There’s nothing to fear. I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he assured. His voice was kind, even compassionate.

“I’m sorry I’m so much trouble,” Skyler said. That was the truth. She didn’t like using a good person. He clearly wasn’t the demon she’d conjured up in her mind. The Lycans had taken Dimitri prisoner when he’d been defending not only his prince, but also the Lycans. They tortured him and would have killed him if she hadn’t intervened. She’d developed a dislike of them. Still, she would much rather have had Zev find her than some really awful Lycan who might kill her.

“You don’t weigh much,” Zev observed. “A good wind might blow you away.”

A bubble of nervous laughter welled up. “My father says that.”

“Your father is right.” He frowned. “He should be watching out for you. Coming here was not a good idea.”

She couldn’t very well tell him her father didn’t know and the world as she knew it would probably be over once he found out. “My ankle agrees with you.”

He found their base camp unerringly, as if he already knew it was there. He hadn’t cast around for signs looking for the site, but seemed to follow a direct—and the shortest—route straight to it.

He came to an abrupt halt. “Where is everyone?”

“Out looking for me, I suppose,” Skyler replied in a small voice. Her ankle really was hurting and she was grateful when he put her into a chair. He had been smooth, walking through the forest, but still, movement jarred the injury. “There’s only Paul and Josef. The others haven’t arrived yet.”

Paul strode into camp, a mixture of concern and aggravation on his face. He held a rifle in his hands. She knew it carried tranquilizers. “What the hell happened, Skyler?” he demanded. “We’ve been searching for you for most of the day. I was about to call for help.”

Zev’s entire demeanor changed. He ate up the distance between Paul and him with long, fluid strides, nearly gliding. He was on Paul before he had a chance to even bring his weapon up.

“I’m a cop,” Zev announced, with a small apologetic glance over his shoulder at Skyler. “I’d like to see your papers now. No one should have authorized work in this area. We closed it off a few weeks ago.”

It was the last thing Skyler expected, but she realized his revelation and demands made perfect sense. The Lycans had to have a way to keep everyone away from them while they prepared for war, or tortured and killed their prisoners. Zev probably really did have a rank of some kind in law enforcement.

Paul kept possession of his weapon but went to the locked box and removed the papers giving them permission to set up cameras in this area of the forest. Zev studied their passports and the official documents carefully, taking his time. This was no cursory glance.

Skyler’s mouth went dry. Her heart began to pound. Josef was the best, she reminded herself. His paperwork was always impeccable.

Zev looked up suddenly, pinning Paul with his piercing, focused stare. “Who’s in charge?”

“He’s not here at the moment,” Paul said. “He went out searching for Skyler, but we come back to the camp every two hours.” He glanced at his watch. “He should be coming back soon.”

Zev handed the papers back to Paul. “Everything appears to be in order, but there’s been a mistake. I want you to break camp tomorrow morning and get out of here. This girl cannot be wandering the forest alone, nor should you or whoever is in charge. It’s too dangerous.”

“We’re aware there is an active pack of wolves here,” Paul said. “That’s why we’re here. We just study their environment. We don’t try to interact. If we’re lucky we’ll have the cameras in the right places and we’ll get a glimpse of them.”

Zev shook his head. “There have been several killings. Mutilations. Not the wolves, someone human. This area is closed at the moment. You need to pack up immediately and leave.”

“Are you saying a serial killer is on the loose?” Paul asked.

“We don’t acknowledge such things. We’ve chased a criminal into these woods, and he knows his way around. I am officially telling you and your party to leave. I’ll be back tomorrow to ensure you’ve obeyed.”

Paul scowled and tried to protest. Skyler ducked her head, twisting her fingers together, looking guilty, as if she knew Paul would take his anger out on her. After all, she’d set this all in motion by getting lost.

“She has a sprained ankle and needs care,” Zev added. “And in case you think to chastise her, I was already aware of your camp and was coming to tell you to leave when I ran across her.”

That made sense, too. He was Lycan. He belonged in the forest. It would talk to him the way Mother Earth spoke to her. She had no doubt that he had known—that he’d heard foreign footsteps or smelled their scents on the wind.

Zev dropped a hand on her shoulder. “I hope you feel better very quickly. I’m sorry we met under such circumstances. Please persuade whoever is in charge to take me seriously. You can always come back once we’ve found the killer.”

It was a perfect cover—a police manhunt. Skyler nodded. “Thank you for your kindness.”

Zev left them, striding away, disappearing into the trees. Skyler wrapped her arms around herself and rocked back and forth. She hadn’t been aware that she’d been scared, but now she felt a little sick, but definitely triumphant. She’d done it. She’d slipped that tiny little bug into Zev’s pocket, and he hadn’t even known.

Paul hurried over to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “Are you all right?”

She nodded. “He’s a very scary man, but he was really nice to me. I was terrified the papers wouldn’t hold up.”

“I was more worried he’d take out one of his weapons and annihilate us both,” Paul said. “My little tranq gun didn’t seem so great when I could see weapons in his belt, hanging from a million loops on the inside of that coat, and even inside his boots. But, he looked and felt human.”

“He was Lycan,” Skyler assured. “I could tell the difference. He smelled wild. Part of the forest. It was in the way he moved as well. He’s a wolf.” She slowly unzipped her boot and straightened her leg, holding out her injured foot toward Paul. “Can you get this thing off of me? Josef did a great job on my cover, that’s all I’m going to say on the matter.”

“You mean until he gets here. You’ve got that look on your face.” Paul did his best to remove the boot without hurting her further. He whistled when he saw her swollen, bruised ankle. “Well, one thing about Josef—he’s thorough.”

“I think I’ll lie down and rest until the sun goes down,” Skyler said.

She needed to touch Dimitri’s mind. He might be in the Carpathian paralysis, but he hadn’t been able to sleep the sleep needed for rejuvenation and his mind was still active. She found that the more she merged her mind with his, the more she needed to do so.

She’d fallen in love with Dimitri, his gentle, tender ways and his absolute, unfaltering love for her. Now she knew the pull between lifemates. That link had grown stronger between them. She could feel the need to touch him, to just know he was alive somewhere, rising in her more and more as every hour slipped by. Perhaps it was because she was older now, or because she’d made that final commitment to him.

Paul helped her hobble to her hammock and she lay down, stretching out, trying to relax. She knew the worst would be this night. Their plan would either work or they would all be in trouble. Most of it depended on her.

She opened her mind and stretched herself along that now familiar path. Dimitri. It is done and I am safe. She knew he would need to hear her voice just as much as she needed to hear his.

Dimitri, caught in the Carpathian midday paralysis, would have closed his eyes had he been capable of moving. Relief was so raw it was tinged with madness. He hadn’t been able to move, but he could think—imagine—every bad scenario that could possibly happen with Skyler alone in the forest. He poured himself into her mind, needing to touch her, to feel that closeness with her.

Skyler could feel Dimitri’s relief flowing into her mind along with his warmth, the heat that always drove the cold of her nightmares away.

I was worried. It was nothing less than an understatement.

She found herself smiling. He felt different. He knew, like she did, that tonight was their night. Her plan had to work, there was no other choice. She took a deep breath and let it out. She had committed to him. She knew she loved him. There was no other. They could both die this night.

Dimitri, I love you with all my heart. I know you feel that. I have never hesitated to come to you as your lifemate from lack of love.

I am aware you love me, Skyler, he said, his voice a little perplexed. Did you think I would doubt you? I feel your love surround me every time we touch.

I have always told you the truth, that I fear I will not be able to satisfy you on a physical level. They had talked so much that she was no longer embarrassed to bring the subject up, although she still felt inadequate when they did discuss sex.

Sívamet. Dimitri spoke the Carpathian endearment tenderly. His heart always seemed to grow bigger and fuller when she was near. Sex is not making love. There is a difference. I will show you the difference and you will no longer fear us coming together in a physical way. There is no need to worry. When you’re ready . . .

I am ready. That’s the point. I want you to claim me. Right now. Please claim me right now. Her heart pounded in her chest. She wanted him in that moment. Not just in her head. Or her heart. She wanted their souls to be woven back together as they were meant to be.

Dimitri’s entire body reacted. For one moment all pain was gone and there was only Skyler—his lifemate—reaching for him. Offering herself to him in his weakest moment. How could he possibly resist her? She was everything to him. Yet here he was, hanging from the branch of a tree, pierced with silver, wrapped in silver chains, helpless to even aid his lifemate should she run into trouble. What did he have to offer her? Even if they managed to get him free, they would be hunted for all time by the Lycans.

He had no idea what his mixed blood would do to her during a conversion. He didn’t know if children were possible, or if so, what they would become. He loved her with everything he was or would ever be, but what right did he have to tie her so closely, an unbreakable bond . . .

Dimitri’s silence frightened Skyler. Surely he felt the same way. She knew the drive to claim one’s lifemate was primal, strong, nearly impossible to ignore—and Dimitri had managed to ignore it for years. Was he as worried about her inability to commit to a physical relationship as she was? That stood to reason.

He was rejecting her. Pain sliced through her like a knife. She pulled her knees into her chest, drawn into the fetal position. She’d waited too long. She had made him wait forever, thinking he would always be there for her.

Dimitri felt her instant fear, the pain of rejection, and cursed himself for such clumsy handling of her tremendous gift. And it was a gift, a treasure beyond anything else she could ever offer him. His mind felt slow and sluggish. He could barely breathe, his lungs laboring, and the agonizing burn of the silver hadn’t allowed his brain to function in the way he needed.

Sívamet, you are my heart. You are, Hän ku vigyáz sívamet és sielamet—keeper of my heart and soul. Above all else, I want to bind our souls together. It is my greatest wish. But, Skyler, you cannot tempt me this way. I’m weak and you’re vulnerable. We’ve both been through so much. You cannot tempt me, he reiterated again, hoping she understood what she meant to him, but that it was his duty to protect her.

She heard the urgent need in his voice, every bit as strong as it was in her, maybe stronger. Her heart settled. Fluttered. Filled with joy. She took in the fresh air. I know it’s the right time. Our time. We need to be strong together. Bind me to you, my love. This is what I want.

How could he possibly explain to her the peril his life choices would put her in? He wanted her to be permanently his, bound so that no other could ever take her from his side, but they weren’t in a safe place where he could surround her with his love and hold her close to him, reassure her if she became fearful. He didn’t know if he would even live out the night. He couldn’t even give her that reassurance.

I can’t hold you in my arms and do it properly. Once this is done, it can’t be undone.

Skyler found herself smiling. More than anything else she was certain of what she wanted, and she wanted to be Dimitri’s lifemate in every sense of the word. She was merged with him and him with her. The connection between them was so strong. It had been growing since their first encounter. How could she not fall in love with him? How could she possibly want anyone else in her life?

Once we met, my love, we both knew our connection could never be undone. I want this with all my heart. I want you with all my heart. I know I’m ready. I would follow you anywhere, Dimitri. I would walk on fire to get to you.

How can you be so certain?

Skyler crossed her arms over her chest and stared up at the branches above her head. The forest was preparing for nightfall and the birds were returning to their roosts. She was fully prepared to take the next step in her life—her biggest step.

Today I met a stranger in the forest. I was alone with a man I didn’t know. He was big and strong and looked very tough. Before I actually saw him, I felt his presence and knew he watched me. For a moment, I was that terrified child again, helpless and hopeless and wanting to slip deep into my mind where no one could harm me.

Sívamet, I am so sorry. Dimitri wanted to shake down the very trees holding him prisoner to get to her. His Skyler. She deserved to always feel safe.

No, it was a good thing. I knew who I was. I’m Skyler, lifemate to Dimitri. I knew then that I could brave anything—even my past—in order to get to you. I am your lifemate, and I will be all things you need as you already are to me.

She knew she was committing to a physical relationship with him—that was part of being a lifemate. She meant what she said, she would brave anything for him, learn anything for him. He was already part of her. She had found on this journey of awakening that she was beginning to know the signs of physical attraction.

When he spoke to her, his voice was like thick molasses moving slowly through her body, touching nerve endings she’d never known she had. That attraction had been building over time. Sometimes she found she just waited for that one note in his voice her entire body reacted to.

Dimitri turned her argument over and over in is mind. Everything she said was true. They were already connected. No other pair of Carpathians could span the distances they could. They already needed to touch one another’s minds continually. He tried to block out the pain, to think clearly, so in this, he could do the right thing. Explain everything to her. Let her see the truth of what their life together could be before she made the ultimate decision.

You have to be certain, and before you make up your mind, there are other things you need to know, reasons the Lycans have condemned me. Those reasons will affect you as my lifemate. I am no longer Carpathian. I have become more. Something different.

Whatever you are, I will be.

That is your loyalty to me as well as your youth talking. You need to know the consequences. You need to have all the facts before you make up your mind. Please. Listen to me and then really give it thought.

Skyler watched a leaf floating to the ground. A journey. The leaf had lived out its existence one way and now was free-falling, trusting the next journey would be the right one. I am listening, my love, with an open mind. Please keep your mind open as well.

The Lycans call what I am the Sange rau. The literal translation is “bad blood.” One such as me is very difficult to stop—or kill. The thing about this transition, Skyler, is that it continues to mutate. I don’t know what will happen if I try to convert you. I doubt I will take that chance. Someone else may have to bring you fully into my world.

Skyler frowned, her fingers idly drumming on her thigh as she turned the information he’d given her over and over in her mind. She could see why Dimitri would be reluctant. He had no idea of the future or what he was offering her. Male Carpathians didn’t like other males around their women much, but their relationship was different and had been different almost from the beginning. Dimitri accepted her friends, Josef and Paul, treating them as younger brothers. He knew how she felt about them; she held nothing away from him when she opened her mind to his.

I know many Carpathians, Dimitri. I’ve been given two blood exchanges. One more will be enough for a conversion. Gabriel and Francesca feared, because our presence drew the vampire, that I would need to be saved in an emergency. I’m not afraid of the conversion, she assured him with absolute confidence.

Lifemates exchange blood. It is part of our physical relationship and one we cannot deny. Eventually, over time, you would become as I am.

Do you really think that frightens me?

No, because you do not yet know what can happen. The Lycans all believe that the Sange rau must be destroyed. They very well could be planning a war right now over this issue. You will be hunted and hated. The Carpathians call us Hän ku pesäk kaikak. The actual translation is “Guardian of all.” That distinguishes the Carpathian/Lycan from the vampire/wolf. The Lycans refuse to acknowledge a difference. They believe that no chances should be taken and anyone with mixed blood should be destroyed.

Why?

A single Sange rau nearly wiped out their entire species, centuries ago.

Skyler studied the leaf as the wind gusted, taking it first one direction and then spinning it in a different one. The leaf appeared to be dancing. She lifted her hand idly and began to direct the dance rather absently, the sound of the breeze playing through the leaves creating music.

Xavier, the most hated and yet powerful of all mages, nearly did the same to the Carpathian species, she reminded him. And yet, do you know what I found out, Dimitri? I feared that side of me. I often tried to deny that he was related to me in any way. In fact, so much so that I have avoided any real relationship with my birth father, Razvan, because I couldn’t bear the knowledge that mage blood ran in my veins. But I found, through this entire event, that being mage is a good thing. Having those gifts to be used for good is a gift. What you are is a gift to the entire world.

It is my Lycan blood that allows them to torture me.

It is your mixed blood that has kept you alive when no one else could have possibly survived this long. They expected you to die long ago, Dimitri, you know that’s the truth. They would have done better to kill you outright. What you are is a testimony to what can be used for good.

There is uncertainty of the future.

Skyler laughed softly, sharing her amusement with him. The leaf still continued on its journey, its brief dance only delaying the inevitable—as Dimitri was simply delaying the inevitable.

The future is always uncertain, my love. Especially now. I want this, Dimitri, now, before whatever happens tonight, whether we succeed or not. I will follow you wherever you go. We cannot be undone. Please make me yours. She meant every single word. She was certain. Absolutely certain that this was the right time for her—for him. And if they were killed in this rescue attempt, their souls would be bound.

Dimitri had envisioned an entirely different scenario. He would have held her in his arms, in front of her parents and best friends. He wanted a celebration for her, a moment in her life that transcended every traumatic event. He wanted elegant clothes and her favorite flowers, a party of dancing and laughter, their joy shared with their families. It was more of the human tradition, but she talked of such things with her school friends.

He didn’t want to be hanging in some tree like a criminal, his body torn and starved. God only knew what he looked like—or would look like if she managed to get the chains off of him. He would never again be that elegant, handsome man she had grown so used to. He didn’t want to be far away from her with Lycans surrounding him or have her in danger while sneaking through the woods in a rescue attempt, certainly not when he bound them together.

He searched her mind. There were no doubts there. No regrets. She was different—a grown woman—and she was coming to him as a woman. This was her choice. He had promised her long ago that it would always be her choice.

Skyler knew the exact moment he capitulated. She felt his heart race. Swell with love and pride. The warmth of his love surrounded her, swamped her, filled even that dark space in her mind where she hid when she couldn’t stop what was being done to her body. He was there, seeing it all, healing her. Sharing her worst moments and holding her in his arms while he did. He was Dimitri, her private phenomenon.

You have always been mine, Skyler Rose. Always. Te avio päläfertiilam. He translated the ancient words for her. You are my lifemate. Éntölam kuulua, avio päläfertiilam. I claim you as my lifemate.

Her heart gave a leap of joy. She placed her hand over her chest, directly over her heart. Did you feel that, Dimitri? Even my heart is aware of you. She knew those ancient words were the words she had pleaded for. She felt them, tiny little threads weaving her soul to his.

Ted kuuluak, kacad, kojed. I belong to you. I do belong to you, Skyler. From the moment I saw you, you were not simply the lifemate I had waited centuries to find, but you became my world as well. I love and respect you.

She felt the truth of that each time his mind merged with hers. Even now, when he was so tortured, his first thoughts were always of her and her well-being.

Élidamet andam. I offer my life for you.

She loved that part of the vow, because she would offer her life for his. She knew each word to be the absolute truth.

Pesämet andam. I give you my protection. His amusement was warm in her mind. At this very moment, csitri, I think you are giving me protection rather than the other way around.

Isn’t that how the whole thing works? she asked. We love and protect one another. Because she knew he felt a fierce desire to ensure her health and safety and she felt that same tigress-like need to take care of him.

Uskolfertiilamet andam. I give you my allegiance. You have always had my allegiance, but we’re making it official.

She had known she had his loyalty and faithfulness from the moment their eyes met. She couldn’t imagine her life without him.

Sívamet andam. I give you my heart. Her heart changed rhythm, matching his. A steady, strong beat in spite of the fact that he was still nearly starving.

Sielamet andam. I give you my soul.

There it was, that tie she had been waiting for. He had her heart. He gave her his. Now he tied his soul to hers.

Ainamet andam. I give you my body. Sívamet kuuluak kaik että a ted. I take into my keeping the same that is yours.

She took a deep breath and let it out. There was that, his body. So strong. So much stronger than she was. She would never be able to stop him if anything he did frightened her. For a moment, one terrible moment, she felt her heart go out of rhythm and her breath exploded from her lungs. He waited as he held his breath, but he said nothing, letting her absorb what he said, what that commitment actually meant. It was a vow, like all the others.

She let her breath out. Felt her heart settle. Dimitri was a man of honor. He loved her, and she always had to trust in that love, just as this night, he would be trusting in her love.

I have no doubts, Dimitri. You are my other half and together we’ll get through anything.

Again there was that burst of heat, bathing her mind in his love. It surrounded her and lifted her up as nothing else could.

Ainaak olenszal sívambin. Your life will be cherished by me for all my time. Skyler, you know I have cherished you always, but this means so much more. Te élidet ainaak pide minan. Your life will be placed above my own for all time. I would never hurt you, or frighten you or ask you to do something you are uncomfortable with. Do you understand?

Of course she understood. She’d always known, on some level, that Dimitri was a man above men. He allowed her to work her way to him on her own. He never once had tried to make her feel guilty or to push her toward him faster. He gave her room, and yet he was always there when she needed him. How often had she leaned on him in the middle of the night when the nightmares were too close? He’d never asked for anything in return.

I understand. His loyalty to her, his complete regard for her past and her feelings made her want to be what he needed all the more.

Te avio päläfertiilam. You are my lifemate.

She loved that word. This binding ritual was the equivalent of a human marriage, but more. The vows could not be broken.

Ainaak sívamet jutta oleny. You are bound to me for all eternity.

They could follow one another from one life to the next. They were bound, heart and soul. She felt even closer to him. She knew those threads weaving their souls together had done their job.

Ainaak terád vigyázak. You are always in my care.

It was done; they were tied together for all eternity. Dimitri sent her one last burst of love before he allowed the connection to fade. I love you, Skyler, with all my heart. Be safe for me.

Stay alive no matter what, Dimitri, she responded. I am coming for you.