Dark Lycan (Carpathian)

Fen really had written the song for her. He sang it to her in front of their people, and their prince, uncaring who heard as he poured out his heart to her. She hadn’t known a man, a fierce independent warrior, could make himself so vulnerable in front of others the way he was. He didn’t seem to care that everyone could see how much she really meant to him. His voice, when he sang the lyrics, rang with raw honesty. His emotions were totally exposed for all of those present to see.

The music began to fade and she lifted her head, tears in her eyes as she looked up at him. She had fallen so deeply in love with him, and yet she didn’t even know when her emotions had grown so intense. Out of the corner of her vision she realized other couples had been dancing as well. She hadn’t even known they were there, she’d been so completely wrapped up in her magical dance with Fen.

To make her dance happen, not only had Fen written a song for her and sang it publicly, he had to have enlisted the aid of other Carpathians for the music and the show of stars on the ceiling.

“Thank you,” she whispered almost shyly, slipping her arms around his neck and leaning into the shelter of his body. “I don’t know what to think about you, sometimes, Fen. This was such a beautiful, amazing gift and I’ll always treasure the memory of it.”

“I wanted you to know how I feel about you, Tatijana. You need to know how truly extraordinary you really are. You love to dance and I thought this would be a good way to let you know how much you mean to me.”

“This was perfect, Fen. Just perfect. I’ll never forget it.”

Fen brushed his mouth gently over hers. She was more radiant than ever. For him that was enough. He had wanted to give her something special. He had poured his heart and soul into his music for her. He had no idea what the future would bring for them. His life was one of battles and secrecy. Every moment that he could, he wanted to give her laughter and joy.

“Fen.” Gregori came up behind them. “Thank you for that. Savannah has wanted to dance for some time. We haven’t had a lot of celebrations and this has been fun for her.”

“Is she leaving already?” Tatijana asked, swinging around to see Savannah holding Anya in her arms. Destiny held Anastashia. Neither of the little girls looked happy.

“We’ve invited Zev and the others to join us,” Gregori explained, “but we thought it best if the children went home. It’s late for them to be out.”

Fen knew Gregori was protecting the children, using the guise of lateness. It was still fairly early for Carpathians. All of the youngsters had to be used to staying up nights, even Sara and Falcon’s human children. There was no danger from Zev and his pack. If anything, everyone would be that much safer with them around. Still, he couldn’t blame Gregori. There were only a handful of Carpathian children. If he was in Gregori’s shoes, responsible for their safety, he would have spirited them away from strangers as well.

“I’m so glad I had the chance to see them,” Tatijana said. “They bring us hope.”

Fen slipped his arm around her waist as they waved good-bye to the children. Several of the unlifemated males escorted them as they left. Gregori went to work changing the entrance of the cavern so the Lycans could easily slip inside and yet would never find the entrance again when it was changed back to the natural formation.

“The children have plenty of protection.” Fen made it a statement. He was uneasy with the rogue pack so close and two Sange rau in the neighborhood. Surely by now, after all the discussions and the casualties the pack had inflicted on the Carpathians, Mikhail and Gregori were taking the threat as very real.

Gregori nodded. “We’ve enlisted the aid of our ancestors as well. This night no harm will come to these children.”

Fen frowned. The temperature in the labyrinth of sacred caves was far too much for a human child. “What of Falcon’s children?”

Gregori suddenly smiled and it transformed his face completely. He looked younger and more relaxed. “A word of advice, Fen. With your soft heart you’d better never have daughters.”

Fen scowled at him. “I don’t have a soft heart.”

“You’d be a complete pushover.”

Mikhail had quietly come up behind him. “He says that kind of thing to all of us to make himself look better. Everyone knows his twins rule his life.” His laughter was very genuine. He nudged Gregori. “Poor man. Brought down by babies.”

Gregori gave Mikhail his deepest, forbidding scowl. “I’m very firm with those girls. They know better than to mess with me.”

Fen couldn’t help but join in Mikhail’s laughter. Clearly Gregori didn’t care if he was firm with his daughters or not, they were everything to him.

“Gregori even told my adorable granddaughters to call him Is?nt? out of sheer desperation.” Mikhail continued to give Gregori a hard time.

“Master of the house,” Fen translated. “And did they?”

“It might have worked,” Gregori said, “if Savannah hadn’t laughed hysterically every time they called me master.”

Tatijana’s laughter joined the men’s. “I’m sorry, Gregori. What a blow. Your little girls are adorable, and quite frankly, I’d probably give them anything they wanted and Fen would be even worse. Don’t deny it, Fen, you would.”

Fen had to admit she was right. “Your daughters are just too beautiful, Gregori, with their sassy attitudes and their adventurous streaks. I’d be lost.”

Gregori smiled and shrugged his shoulders as if finally giving up. “Her mother doesn’t know it, but Anya has already tried shapeshifting. I caught her two risings ago. Took a hundred years off my life. Forbidding her isn’t going to work. And what she does, Anastashia does. I’m going to have to start working with them. I promised Anya I would, but only if she promised not to try on her own.”

“Savannah is going to kill you.” Mikhail made it a statement.

“I know. I haven’t figured out how to tell her. There isn’t any stopping Anya,” Gregori said, running a hand through his hair in the first sign of agitation Fen had ever seen him make.

“She’s a miniature you,” Mikhail pointed out. “You were just like that as a boy.”

“I can’t believe I started this early. She’s barely two,” Gregori said.

“I was your friend, you maniac,” Mikhail told him. “We got in so much trouble together, and you were always the instigator. Even at two.”

“Don’t believe him,” Gregori said. “He’s never followed anyone in his life. Especially when any advice given was for his own good.”

The deep affection and easy friendship Gregori and Mikhail had for one another was very clear. Fen believed Gregori. Mikhail definitely was born to lead. He listened to those around him, but in the end, he made his own decisions. He’d most likely been that way since birth, and his son probably was a great deal like him. Little Anya would have just as difficult a time trying to protect young Alexandru as her father had with Mikhail.

“The children are tucked away for the night,” Jacques announced. “Shea’s going to join us for a short time.” His voice lightened when he uttered his lifemate’s name. “We’ve got to get the food right. Fen, that’s your department. You know more about the Lycans than any of us.”

“You’re going to serve food?” Food certainly wasn’t the forte of Carpathians.

“We want them to feel as at home with us as possible,” Mikhail said. “The more they see us as they are, the better chance we have of their council coming here for a summit meeting. I also want to start the process of subtly changing their view of a Guardian versus the Sange rau.”

Fen nodded. He could see how Mikhail’s plan was a good one. The elite hunters, especially Zev, had the ear of the council. If they could be persuaded, they would be advocates for an alliance with the Carpathians.

“I’ll handle the food,” he agreed. “Everyone here has to view me as a Lycan. That’s how Zev knows me. If he suspects any different, there will be trouble.” He pulled on thin, almost invisible gloves.

Mikhail raised his eyebrow.

Fen shrugged. “No Lycan ever goes anywhere without his gloves or his silver. Zev’s weapons are amazing, but most just have stakes. Silver can’t touch their skin either, so they have to protect themselves. They’ll be wearing their gloves, or they’ll have them, and they’ll definitely notice if I don’t.”

“I didn’t think about that aspect of what they do,” Gregori said. “During an intense battle they have to occasionally touch it.”

“Silver burns like nothing you’ve ever felt,” Fen said. “Every elite has scars from it, but that’s one of the hazards of fighting the rogue packs. They accept it just as every Carpathian hunter accepts he’s going to get torn up fighting the undead.”

“I covet Zev’s weapons,” Jacques admitted with a grin. “Totally cool.”

Mikhail groaned. “My brother has become very modern with his language.”

“I was always very modern,” Jacques said. “You’re a dinosaur, but we’re working on dragging you into this century.”

“Go recheck the entrance with Gregori so everything is ready for the Lycans to come inside,” Mikhail ordered. “And when your lifemate arrives, send her my way. I’m going to tell her tales of you as a boy.”

“Big threat.” Jacques shrugged his shoulders at his brother. “You’ve already done that.” Laughing, he followed Gregori toward the main entrance to the cave.

The large cavern took on another look entirely. All playthings for children were gone. The stars were left in place as if their celebration was out in the open, but the torches were changed to soft lighting. On one side, Fen set up tables with food and drink. Tables and chairs were strewn around the area. Soft music played and a few of the couples danced under the scattered stars.

The chamber took on the atmosphere of a long ago ballroom, elegant and warm. Destiny and her lifemate, Nicolae, had returned from escorting the children and he spun her around the dance floor. Destiny laughed like a child herself, clearly enjoying the simple pleasure. Vikirnoff and Natalya danced alongside them, laughing with them and trying to outdo each other’s intricate dance steps.

Looking around the room, Fen realized most of the single hunters weren’t present, at least not openly. He allowed himself to use his Guardian senses, scanning the chamber. Of course. He should have known how Gregori thought by now. Mikhail and Raven were present and they were inviting strangers into their midst. In spite of all the Carpathian hunters present, Gregori would have an ace or two in the hole—in this case four of them.

Tomas, Lojos, Mataias and Andre were concealed somewhere in the chamber. Each guarded a key position. He knew them all well, those ancients, and they were dangerous predators. The elites had amazing skills, but Gregori knew how they fought now. He was very fast at learning and he wouldn’t get caught unawares again. He was prepared for any act of treachery.

Zev came through the door first, which didn’t surprise Fen at all. Zev was so much like Gregori they could have been brothers. Neither would probably ever admit it, but they thought alike.

Mikhail immediately crossed the chamber to greet him, Gregori and Jacques on either side of him. Fen moved just as quickly to join the greeting party. As a Lycan, it would be expected. Zev was of the highest rank, above any of the packs and would never be ignored by any Lycan once he had revealed himself as an elite scout.

Mikhail shook Zev’s hand. Out of respect, Zev had removed his gloves, something Fen knew elites rarely did. Some slept with them on their hands, especially during a hunt. A rogue pack could attack at any time.

“Thank you for coming,” Mikhail greeted. “More, again, thank you for coming to our aid when the rogue pack attacked. We would have suffered far more causalities and perhaps even losses.”

Zev gave him an easy smile. Fen noted that smile never reached his eyes. Zev had the eyes of a man who had lived long and saw far too many horrific things.

“Thank you for inviting us. My pack needed a break. They’ve been traveling and fighting battles with rogues for weeks now. We knew something big was happening, but we had no idea the trail would lead us here.”

He turned as the others entered. “This is Daciana.”

Mikhail bowed over her hand. “Welcome and thank you. Destiny tells me you were very instrumental in protecting our children. There are no words for how grateful we are.”

Daciana smiled at him. “It’s what we do. And Destiny certainly did her fair share of fighting.”

“I hope you enjoy yourself,” Mikhail added.

Zev continued with the introductions to his pack. “These four are Convel, Gunnolf, Makoce and Arnou.”

The four Lycans were extremely polite as Mikhail greeted them, but held themselves stiffly as if they weren’t certain what they were getting into.

The last elite hunter limped a little as he came up to be introduced. Zev touched his shoulder briefly. “This is Lykaon.”

Lykaon bowed slightly toward the prince but looked at Gregori. “I would not have survived without your aid or Shea’s. I thank you.”

“It was the least I could do after what you did for us,” Gregori said.

Mikhail graciously thanked each of the Lycan hunters for their help. Vikirnoff and Natalya along with Destiny and Nicolae immediately came over. Destiny had fought with the Lycans and she introduced her lifemate, his brother and Natalya as she led the other pack members over to the tables of food and drink.

Fen knew immediately that Mikhail had planned for just that move. The pack respected Destiny’s abilities and would relate to her and her family. Out of the corner of his eye he could see other Carpathian couples going up and introducing themselves to the pack members and engaging them in conversation.

Mikhail inclined his head toward Fen. “I believe you two know one another.”

“We’ve certainly fought a few battles together now,” Zev said, holding out his hand to Fen.

Fen was glad he’d thought to put his gloves on. Zev accepted him as Lycan but found his relationship with the Carpathians suspect.

“I see you’ve come prepared,” Zev acknowledged.

“Always. With two of the Sange rau in the area, running such a large pack, I figure no one is safe,” Fen said, opening the subject up immediately.

“I agree,” Zev said. “It doesn’t make sense that they’re staying here when they know the hunters have arrived and there are so many Carpathians to fight them off.”

Mikhail chose to inch toward a corner where the five of them could talk privately. Tatijana discreetly slipped off to talk with the pack members and Natalya’s family. Zev walked with them to the small alcove where there were comfortable chairs. Once Mikhail sat, they all did, even Gregori, although Fen noticed that the way he’d positioned his chair, he could get in front of Mikhail instantly.

Fen didn’t tell him it wasn’t needed. No one in the room was faster than he was, and he would defend Mikhail, but he’d bet, Zev was every bit as quick as Gregori.

“One of the Sange rau is Bardolf, who had been a Lycan I thought long dead,” Fen explained. “The other had been a Carpathian named Abel, an ancient hunter who turned vampire some centuries ago.”

“We believe that they built a large pack with the intention of sacrificing them in order to distract the hunters while one of the leaders comes in to assassinate Mikhail,” Gregori said.

Zev frowned, bringing the fingers of his hands together in a steeple. “They’re intelligent enough to come up with such a plan, but what would they gain?”

“If I’m killed, it very well could end our species,” Mikhail admitted. “My son is far too young to take over and we’ve been at a crisis point for centuries, barely holding on as a species.”

Zev nodded. “The Sange rau decimated our ranks centuries ago. We had to completely restructure to build and we’re still fragile.”

“I believe it’s time for our two species to become close allies. Whatever the problem that occurred between us certainly doesn’t exist anymore,” Mikhail said, leaning forward. “We could learn so much from one another, and I believe we can be of mutual aid to one another.”

“The problem is what happens when, if by some chance, the blood between your species and mine mix. The Sange rau is what happens,” Zev pointed out.

“Not exactly,” Mikhail countered, his tone matter-of-fact as well as carrying a hint of surprise as if he expected Zev to already know. “A lifemated Carpathian could not become the Sange rau. Only a Carpathian who chooses to give up his soul could. The Sange rau is a vampire, not a Carpathian. Should a Carpathian become mixed blood, he would be H?n ku pes?k kaikak, or Paznicii de toate—Guardian of all. They aren’t the same. They are the ones capable of matching the Sange rau in battle.”

Zev shook his head. “I’ve never come across such a fighter, although, to be honest, the Sange rau is so rare few hunters ever run across one even with the longevity of our lives. If what you believe is true and you are the target of these two, then perhaps there is more to it than we know. What benefit would it be for them to destroy an entire species?”

“That’s the question, isn’t it?” Mikhail said. “I’ve been turning it over and over and it has occurred to me that there is another master somewhere, one we haven’t discovered. One with an agenda that might be the demise of both our species.”

Zev was an intelligent man and saw the reasoning. “I can get word to the council and ask if they would be willing to meet with you.”

“If they agree, I’ll call in my warriors for their protection as well,” Mikhail said. “Hopefully you can stick around to help us ensure their safety.”

Zev nodded. “First we have to destroy this pack. We’ve been picking them off, but I’d like to really get an idea of their numbers. They’ve broken the pack in smaller units to help hide them from us.”

“We can help with that,” Mikhail said. “We can use the sky to see their numbers.”

“That would be extremely helpful,” Zev said. “This is a big area with so many places to hide, and you know it where we don’t. If they aren’t aware that you’ve seen them, and we get their locations, we can destroy them.”

“I don’t think,” Fen contributed, “even if we destroy their enormous pack, that Bardolf and Abel will leave without another attempt at Mikhail. They want him dead.”

“Then we have to come up with a battle plan,” Gregori said simultaneously with Zev.

The two men looked at one another, each with a grim smile.

“I don’t want to take up more of your time tonight,” Mikhail said. “I’d like you to have fun and meet some of my people. We can plan our battle this next rising.” He stood and once again shook Zev’s hand.

“I’ll get word to the council,” Zev promised. He looked around the room at his scattered pack. They were definitely enjoying themselves, talking animatedly with the Carpathians surrounding them, making them the center of attention, listening to their every story. “Thank you for this, Mikhail, my pack needed a little downtime.”

Mikhail gave a small old-world bow from the waist and moved away with Jacques and Gregori, leaving Fen and Zev alone.

“He’s cool under fire,” Zev said. “I’ve got to give him that. With two Sange rau after him, he’s in mortal danger, and he knows it.”

“We managed to fight one off, but the other got through the safeguards and went right for him. He didn’t move a muscle, didn’t flinch. He just watched to see how fast they were and how good they were at unraveling the safeguards set in place,” Fen said. “We were lucky, but next time we’ll have to be better prepared.”

“Do you think there is another masterminding—” Zev broke off in midsentence, looking over Fen’s shoulder.

For a moment Zev looked as if he’d been hit over the head with a club. Those eyes, so empty and cold before, lit up as if with a flame. The light transformed the hunter’s entire face. His edgy, tough features softened a little, leaving him younger and more approachable.

“She’s stunning. Who is she?”

Fen turned his head as a hush fell over the room. Branislava stood at the entrance. Her thick fiery red hair fell to her waist in soft waves framing her face. Her skin was pale, but seemed to glow as if a furnace burned inside her and there was no containing the scorching heat. Her eyes—Dragonseeker eyes—dazzled. Her lashes were long and feathery, shading her emerald eyes. She looked as if two gemstones had been pressed into her face and a fire had been lit behind them so the brilliance shone at all times.

She wore a vintage gown reminiscent of days gone by. The style suited her. The sleeves were long and the bodice clung to her full breasts and narrow rib cage, dropping to her small waist and then flared over her hips so that the full skirt fell to the floor.

Fen drew in a breath and looked over at Tatijana. The joy on her face and in her heart swamped him so that for a moment he experienced the overwhelming emotion with her. Tatijana rushed over to her sister and they embraced one another tightly.

“That is Branislava, Tatijana’s sister. She’s been . . . recovering. We didn’t expect her tonight, although we’d hoped she could come.”

“She’s truly beautiful,” Zev reiterated.

“Don’t let her looks deceive you,” Fen warned. “She’s Carpathian, from a very powerful lineage, and she is a warrior born and bred.”

Zev nodded his head. “She moves like water flowing over rock, so fluid and graceful,” he said. “I have to meet her, Fen.” He looked over his shoulder at his pack. Some were eating. A couple of the hunters were drinking, and Daciana danced with a Carpathian male. “Now, Fen,” he added urgently. “I want to meet her now.”

Zev wishes to meet Bronnie, Tatijana. I know she came here for you, to make certain you were all right, and she’s terribly shy around so many people, but would it be okay to bring him over?

We’re trying to make a good impression on the Lycans, Tatijana said, so I guess we can hardly refuse. I’ll let Bronnie know you’re bringing him over.

I heard, Branislava said. I’m not that fragile. Truly. She turned her head and looked over at them.

“Sure,” Fen said. “Let’s go before everyone swamps her. She’ll be surrounded in another minute.”

Zev let out his breath. “I’m not exactly suave with the ladies.”

“That’s just as well. Look around you. Every one of those men will be defending her if they think you’re a player. This is a tight-knit group.”

“I’ll chance it,” Zev said, once more pulling off his gloves and tucking them inside his jacket pocket. “That’s a woman worth getting killed over.”

Fen knew both Branislava and Tatijana heard the whispered remark. Their hearing was far too acute even with the wealth of conversations and music around them. Tatijana’s sudden grin gave them away as they exchanged a quick telling look.

“Bronnie,” Fen greeted.

She turned fully to face him. Fen took her into his arms, grateful that she had come for Tatijana. He hugged her close. “It’s so wonderful to see you like this. You made the evening complete for Tatijana. She really wanted you with her.”

“I’m happy to come,” Branislava said. “I could feel her happiness, Fen.”

Be careful, Bronnie. Zev is Lycan and must believe Fen is as well, Tatijana cautioned.

I may have been recouping beneath the earth, sister, but I can assure you, I have a good grasp on what these people would do to my brother-kin should they find out what he is.

Fen wanted to smile at the fierceness in Branislava’s tone. She was ready for combat should anyone attack her sister’s lifemate. Yet she turned to Zev with a smile that could melt entire glaciers.

“Branislava, this is my friend, Zev,” Fen introduced them. “He’s an elite hunter for the Lycans.”

“How lovely to meet you,” Bronnie said, extending her hand. “Any friend of Fen’s is certainly welcome here.”

Zev took her fingers in his hand and gallantly lifted them to the warmth of his mouth. Lycan sense of smell was very acute and Branislava’s enticing scent was so alluring he found himself entranced by her. Nearly hypnotized. It shocked him that he could be so completely mesmerized when he had been shaped and trained from the time he was a child to be a killer.

He’d been taught a woman could be a warm body or comfort, but was of little use to his role as a hunter. His entire focus was on hunting and destroying the threats to the Lycans.

“I’m honored to meet you,” he said, looking into her eyes.

Staring into those deep pools of emerald green, he felt himself falling. A man could get lost there. He knew better than to spend one more moment in her company, but he couldn’t resist that sensual allure. The feel of her bare skin, even if it was her fingers, set his heart racing. Her skin was satin-soft, but so warm in the coolness of the evening it shocked him. She seemed to burn from the inside out, which only made him wonder just how hot she would burn for a man she loved.

“I am not the most elegant of dancers, but I would love to dance with you,” he said.

The words came out of their own accord. Frankly, he was shocked at the invitation. He certainly hadn’t come over to her with the idea of asking her to dance. He’d make a fool of himself the moment he stepped out on the dance floor, but the thought of holding her in his arms, her body close to his, was more than he could resist.

“I would love that,” she answered, with an elegant nod of her head. “But I must warn you, sir, I do not dance either. I have never danced.”

You don’t have to do that, Fen said. You’re a great ambassador for the Carpathians, but you aren’t required to dance with him.

I think I will enjoy it, Branislava admitted, astonished.

She really does want to do this, Fen, Tatijana added. She seemed as surprised as her sister.

“Never?” Zev’s eyebrow shot up.

What the hell was wrong with the Carpathian males? He couldn’t imagine why this woman was unattached. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to let go of her hand. Afraid she might change her mind, he led her to the dance floor. The moment he wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her in close to him, he knew he was lost.

She fit into him perfectly, melting into his body, so that when they moved they appeared to be one body, not two. She matched his steps intuitively, as if they had been dancing forever together. Her hair was silk against his face, strands catching in the dark shadow along his jaw, tangling them together, and he found he wanted them to stay like that. He swore, even the beat of his heart matched hers.

He knew he shouldn’t hold her so close, or so possessively, but he felt possessive of her. He didn’t want the music to ever end. His life was one of battles, of killing, cold nights out in the open, horrendous wounds, blood and death. It wasn’t holding a beautiful woman in his arms, drifting around the dance floor in a mixture of desire and pleasure.

“I thought you didn’t know how to dance,” he murmured against her ear. Even her little shell-like ear was beautiful. He had it bad, whatever “it” was. He wanted to sweep the hair off her neck and press featherlight kisses all over her soft skin.

“You apparently are a very good leader,” she whispered. “You’re so very easy to follow.”

Her voice wrapped him in intimacy, making him forget for a moment that they were not alone and other couples—including Tatijana and Fen—danced on the same small dance floor. Branislava was lethal and he had no defense against her. If it was possible for a Lycan to fall for a Carpathian, he was well on his way, and it was forbidden, especially for an elite hunter.

He pulled her closer until her body imprinted on his. Hot. So hot. She burned through his clothes—his skin—every muscle in his body until she was branded in his very bones. No, deeper still. Like molten lava she flowed into him through his pores, until her brand found his heart and then his soul. Until he belonged to her. Body. Heart. Mind. And his lost soul.

The music ended and his heart nearly stopped. She smiled up at him and he had no choice but to wrap his arm around her waist and escort her from the floor, back to the corner where he’d first found her talking to her sister. The far corner. Farthest from where the Lycans held casual conversations with the Carpathians.

“Thank you, Branislava,” he said. “You certainly can cast a spell.”

She blinked several times and he wondered if he’d said something wrong.

He doesn’t know about our mage background, Bronnie, Tatijana hastily explained. He means he finds you very attractive.

Strangely, I find him very attractive.

“I really enjoyed dancing with you,” Branislava admitted. “Tatijana told me it was like floating. I could hear the music right through my body.”

And his heart, matching the rhythm of mine, Tatijana, she added in wonder.

Branislava searched his face. It was a strong face. Lines etched deep, telling her he’d seen war. His eyes fascinated her. They were wolf eyes, pure and simple. They showed his piercing intelligence. There was no disguising the predator in him. When he locked onto his prey he would be merciless and unswerving. Right now, in the room with Carpathian hunters only feet away, those eyes were wholly focused on her.

She should have been frightened, but she was more intrigued. She might be shy around people—she’d never been around them before—but she would defend herself and her family with everything she was, every weapon in her arsenal.

“You’re a beautiful dancer,” Zev said. “I hope we get the chance to do this again soon.”

“Me, too,” Branislava said, meaning it.

She slipped away from him, back to her sister. At once the Carpathians seem to close ranks around her. Zev observed her for a few minutes, all too aware Fen was watching him.

“I understand now, why you have chosen to become friends with these people,” Zev said with a sigh. “Tatijana and her sister are beautiful women.”

“Yes they are,” Fen agreed.

“You know it is forbidden. We are to avoid the Carpathian people just for this reason. We can’t take the chance of falling in love with one.”

Fen not only heard the reluctance in Zev’s voice, but felt it as well. “Carpathian men and women don’t have the luxury of falling in love until they meet their lifemate,” he explained. “A Lycan might fall in love with a Carpathian, but he or she couldn’t or wouldn’t reciprocate. There is only one.”

“I still don’t understand.”

“I’ve learned that they are literally two halves of the same whole. The soul of the male contains the darkness needed and the soul of the female the light. The ritual binding words are imprinted on the male before birth. When he finds the woman with the other half of his soul, he recognizes her, says the words and they are bound. There are no others. If one dies the other follows.”

“So even if it wasn’t forbidden, you’re saying she’s out of reach,” Zev said with real regret. “She’s definitely out of my league.” He was afraid she’d taken his heart and soul away with her, but then one didn’t need those things to kill.

“Let’s get you something to drink. You’re here to have fun.” Fen clapped him on the shoulder and led him back to the rest of the pack and the Carpathians there.
Chapter 16

“Either we have to keep a Carpathian with us at all times so the women can communicate from the air, or one or all of you has to be brave enough to allow them to exchange blood with you,” Fen explained for the third time.

It was one thing to eat and be merry with the Carpathians, but a blood exchange was repugnant to every Lycan. They gave one another blood in battle, but to them, that was entirely different than what Fen was asking of them.

“Fine,” he said with a small sigh. “I’ll have to be the one to do all the communicating with our squads in the air. I’ll ask Tatijana to exchange blood with me.” They’d done so just this rising when he’d made passionate love to her, but he wouldn’t mind the rush before they set off to try to pick off the pack one small unit at a time.

“The woman will take your blood?” Zev asked, his gaze shifting to where Branislava and her sister were laughing together beneath the forest canopy.

“Her name is Tatijana,” Fen said, beginning to feel annoyance that he had to continue the charade of being fully Lycan. They were wasting time while the pack could be moving into position to attack.

The women were going up into the air because their energy output was far less than the men’s in any shape they chose. Tatijana, Branislava, Destiny and Natalya were all going, each taking a different direction. It could be dangerous if the Sange rau detected them and chose to defend their pack. Fen would be undetectable by any of them, yet he had to keep up appearances. It was frustrating to know Tatijana might encounter trouble.

“Would Branislava be the one taking my blood?” Zev asked.

Silence fell on the pack. His pack mates looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. Convel shook his head, his expression grave. “You can’t, Zev. We don’t know what could happen.”

“What will happen,” Fen said, gritting his teeth, “is we can get to work. We have four riders and four groups of hunters. I’m volunteering, but just in case we have another pack discovered, we need someone else able to hear. Destiny and Natalya are communicating with the Carpathian hunters.”

Zev didn’t continue to argue. He crossed the ground between Branislava and him, hoping she wasn’t as mesmerizing as she had been the night before. He could feel the gaze of his pack mates boring holes into his back. The weight of their disproval was heavy in the air. Still, his feet kept moving, striding now, covering the ground faster.

She turned and watched his approach, her emerald eyes a deeper green than he remembered, nearly glowing. And then she smiled and the very air left his lungs in a rush. He couldn’t decide if it was her hair, all that fiery red contained now in a fancy braid as thick as his arm, or her amazing eyes that sometimes, like now, appeared to be multifaceted, or her mouth with her full, inviting lips, that drew his gaze the most.

She let him come all the way to her. He was aware Fen had followed him and Tatijana had gone to meet him. They had stepped into the shadows and were shielded from sight by a large tree. Branislava simply stood motionless, waiting for him.

“My dancer,” he said, wishing he had some elegance to him, “I was told it was possible to communicate telepathically with you if you took my blood and I gave you mine. Would you be willing to exchange blood with me?”

“Yes, of course,” Branislava said. “Telepathy is the easiest form of communication. You can rest assured that I would never pry into your mind. I will simply relay information.”

“You could do that? See things in my mind?”

“Perhaps,” she answered, “but there is no need for such a thing, and you are Lycan. Lycans have different brain patterns and most of us can’t read your thoughts easily. I would think you have a rather good shield.”

He didn’t want to think too much about the consequences. “Let’s do it then. Tell me what to do.”

She took his hand and led him deeper inside the trees where the shadows would keep them safe from prying eyes. “Would you prefer not to feel anything at all? Or taste anything at all?”

“I’ve tasted blood. I’m a Lycan. I want to know what’s going on at all times,” Zev said firmly. He wouldn’t mind tasting her blood. Everything about her intrigued him.

She stepped close to him. So close. There wasn’t more than a scant inch between them. Her scent wrapped him up in velvet and left him reeling just as it had the night before. She put her arm around his neck and drew his head down to her. Her mouth moved over his skin, featherlight, but oh, so sensually. His entire body reacted, going hard with urgent need, blood surging hotly, every nerve ending alive and aware of her.

“You’ll feel the bite. A sting of pain but it will be gone quickly,” she whispered in his ear. “Trust me, I would never do anything to harm you.”

He didn’t even care. His every sense was fixated on her mouth and the way it moved over his pounding pulse so seductively. Her lips touched his neck and his gut clenched into knots of anticipation. His cock jerked strong, hard and alert. Her teeth sank deep and pain added to the intensity of his desire, and then it eased, giving way to pure pleasure. The way she took his blood was the most erotic thing he’d ever experienced.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him, feeling his blood pounding hotly in his veins. His pulse thundered in his ears. He didn’t want her to stop. He wanted more, so much more. His hands moved beneath her shirt to find bare, satin skin. He slid his palms up her rib cage to cup the weight of her breasts, thumbs seeking her taut nipples beneath her shirt. He was so inflamed he would have taken her right there, in the deep shadows of the trees, but she lifted her head, closing the pinpricks with her tongue.

Their eyes met. The amazing green emeralds pressed into her face looked glazed, as if she’d just been made love to. She also looked a little confused.

“Sir, I believe you are trespassing into areas we never discussed in our negotiations.”

Shocked, Zev slid his hands from beneath her shirt. Her skin had been so hot to the touch that he actually felt the cold of the night on his fingers.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. Every time you take someone’s blood do they feel like I do?” If so, he was just a little bit jealous, although he wasn’t familiar with that particular emotion and was guessing at it.

She shook her head. “No. It’s never been like that before.”

“Good.” He wanted to be her first. Maybe she’d remember him the way he knew he’d always remember her. “Do I get to bite your neck?”

She laughed, breaking the slight tension between them. “I think it would be safer if we just use my wrist.”

“Safer, but not as much fun,” Zev pointed out.

She bit into her wrist and offered it to him. Bright drops of blood seeped along the laceration. He took the proffered wrist and raised it to his mouth. Even her wrist gave off that beckoning scent of wild honey and citrus that he’d come to identify as Branislava. He licked at the ruby droplets. She tasted as good as she looked—better even. She could be addicting, and that was dangerous for his species. Hot, fresh blood this good was a temptation none of them dared have.

Lycans always had to be cautious ingesting blood. They were predators. Feral. Civilization had come to them, but deep in their hearts, they would always be wild. Blood sang to them. Called to them. Whispered and cajoled. Her blood was exceptional—the taste exquisite.

Branislava put her other hand on his shoulder, her eyes meeting his. The feeling was nearly as erotic as it had been earlier when she’d taken his blood. He let himself fall into her unusual eyes, let himself feel that moment fully. He would never again have a chance to be this intimate with her—and it was intimate.

Fen had said she couldn’t fall in love with anyone else but her lifemate, but she felt that same magnetic pull toward him as he did to her. He saw it in her eyes and felt it in her mind. Her blood was rich and hot. So hot. So good. It energized him.

“Enough,” Branislava cautioned. “I can’t be weak when I’m in the air.” She tugged at her wrist.

Zev let go immediately. He was rough and crass compared to her, but still, she didn’t take her gaze from his and she closed the wound in her wrist with her tongue.

“It’s done then?” he asked. “You can talk to me telepathically?”

Yes.

Her soft voice whispering so intimately in his mind was shocking. Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to allow her to take his blood. He could barely breathe and he damned well couldn’t walk.

You try it. Talk to me.

There’s not much I can say without making a fool of myself. My attraction to you has been unexpected.

“Are you all right, Zev?” Convel called, anger edging his voice.

He should have known his pack would be worried. The moment Branislava had led him into the privacy of the trees, his pack mates must have become anxious that the Carpathians might be ambushing them in some way.

“I’m fine. We were just making certain it worked,” Zev called back. He smiled at Branislava. “Thank you, Miss Branislava, I think we’ll be able to hunt together.”

“I think we will, too,” she said. “My friends and family call me Bronnie.”

He gave her a little salute and strode out of the trees to meet his fellow elite hunters.

Tatijana and Fen joined Branislava the moment he left.

Fen took her hands. “You’re certain you’re up for this, Bronnie? Tatijana and I both gave you every memory we could of the Sange rau and how they fight, how fast they are. Any werewolf will go for your belly every time, and don’t underestimate how high they can leap.”

“I think I’ve been hibernating a long time and I need to jump right into the fray. Right now, I can be of use and I need that, Fen, to help push me to start living. Being a prisoner for so long and trapped in the ice can make one long for what’s familiar to them and certainly that isn’t the best thing for me.”

“Just promise me you’ll be careful,” Fen said. “Nothing can happen to either of you. I can be in the air in seconds and I travel fast. Just call for me.”

“Don’t you dare give yourself away to the Lycans,” Tatijana said. “I mean it, Fen. They’ll turn on you so fast. Mikhail gave Zev something to think about, but not the others. And you can’t count on him for protection. We’ll be fine. We know what to do.”

“Is everything all right?” Zev asked, coming up behind them. “We’re all ready.”

“I’m just making certain they know how the rogue packs work,” Fen said. “I don’t want them to take any chances with their lives.”

“You’re just giving us information,” Zev cautioned the women, adding to Fen’s warnings. “That’s all, just find them and tell us. The Carpathians will transport us if it’s a great distance.”

“We need the field,” Tatijana said. “Move your pack back into the trees.”

Zev nodded, glanced at Branislava, shook his head and walked away. Fen wrapped his palm around the nape of Tatijana’s neck and pulled her in close to him.

“He might look back, wolf man,” she hissed, but she didn’t pull away.

“I could care less,” he said, and kissed her. “Don’t you dare get hurt. Not a single hair. Do you understand me?”

“I understand you,” she said, and kissed him back. “I love it when you go all wolfie on me.”

Branislava burst out laughing. “Come on, Tatijana, let’s show them what Dragonseekers can do.”

The two women walked out of the trees, into the open. Both looked elegant in spite of their jeans, shirts and boots. They came out holding hands, but in the middle of the field they embraced and each turned and walked into the center of their quadrant.

“What are they doing?” Zev asked.

“Shifting,” Fen said. “And they need room.”

The two shifted almost simultaneously, their small curvy figures shimmering one moment and becoming something else altogether. Fen was used to Tatijana’s blue dragon. She was beautiful to him, with her long, spiked tail and wedge-shaped head. She could dive into water and swim beneath the surface for long periods of time. In her human form, after centuries in dragon form, her skin was always cool.

Branislava was just the opposite. She was a fire dragon, her crimson scales nearly glowing. She looked as if her dragon had been born in a live volcano, a part of the fiery blast, all red and orange. When she expanded her wings Fen heard gasps from several members of the pack.

She stood on her hind legs and flapped her wings, creating a windstorm. Tatijana followed suit. Fen looked around him. There was shock and awe on the faces of the pack as the two dragons took to the sky.

“You saw her in battle,” Fen reminded them.

“She was in the sky mostly,” Arnou defended. “I was looking out for my skin, killing as many of the werewolves as possible. I guess I didn’t think too much about it, but seeing them up close like that after seeing the women as they really are . . . it’s just . . .” he trailed off. “I have no words.”

“Amazing,” Daciana seconded. “I wouldn’t mind being able to shift shape.”

The pack burst out laughing. “You can, Daciana,” Zev reminded. “You’re Lycan. You feel like being a wolf, just shift.”

She shrugged. “It’s not the same. I’ve always been a wolf.”

“Tatijana and Branislava were born into the Dragonseeker lineage, a very ancient and honored line. They were actually in the form of dragons for several centuries and it’s far more familiar to them than their natural human form.”

He reached for Tatijana. How’s it going up there?

It’s been two minutes, Fen. I couldn’t possibly get into trouble that fast. Her laughter teased at his body, soft and intimate. The night is fairly clear and that will help. We’re flying high though and using the existing clouds to mask what we are. From below, we just look like clouds in strange shapes.

Good idea, my lady.

I do have them occasionally, but I can’t take credit for that one. Bronnie thought of it.

It’s her first flight in a very long while, Tatijana. Are you certain she’s strong enough for this?

Branislava was family now. They were bound by Tatijana. More than that, he liked and respected her. He’d seen the glimpses of her courage when Tatijana inadvertently opened the door on her past and he couldn’t help but admire her.

She’s excited. She really does need this. When you’ve never been in the open before, or around others, it’s easy to stay away and hold yourself tight, not move for fear of falling, so to speak.

Tatijana spotted a small opening in between two massive boulders. Brush grew right up to the side of the mountain and those jutting boulders, but right between them was an opening, a dirt floor no more than two feet by two feet. If there was an actual cave there, it would make a perfect den for wolves. The werewolves might be attracted to such a place.

She sent the image to Fen. Is there a cave here? What other signs should I look for?

There’s definitely a cave there, Fen said. I’d marked it earlier as suspicious, but when I checked it out, there was no one there. That doesn’t mean the pack hadn’t targeted it as a possible place to hide if they needed to lay low for a few days. If they’re there, even a small number of them, look around in the surrounding brush, they’ll have at least two lookouts outside. They’ll be concealed well. Think wolves. The werewolves think like their animal counterparts in terms of protecting their pack.

Tatijana didn’t want to drop lower, especially if the rogue pack had lookouts that might spot her. She moved from cloud to cloud, appearing to be drifting with a slight wind. Her dragon’s eyesight was very keen. She could see miles away if she chose to use the superior vision.

At once the look of the world changed around her. It was a little disorienting to concentrate on such visual acuity, but her dragon was quick to pick up movement. Below them and just to the south, she spotted the leaves of a bush waving against the wind. Once her dragon had found a potential target, she stayed high in the air, drifting, her dragon only occasionally having to circle back.

The third circle confirmed there was a creature, half wolf, half man lurking in the brush. I see one of the guards. He’s in the form of half man and half wolf.

That’s what we’re looking for, Fen said. Send me the coordinates and just keep an eye on them until we arrive. If any come out of their hiding spot, count so we get some idea, but do not, under any circumstances engage with them.

“We’ve got one of the units,” Fen said. “Let’s go.”

Eight Carpathian males had agreed to transport the elite hunters to cut down on time as well as the chance of the Sange rau spotting them.

They took the form of giant birds and, although the hunters looked at one another as if they might balk, the moment Fen and Zev stepped forward and swung onto their bird’s backs, the others followed suit. They were hunters and there was a rogue pack to destroy. That job came before anything else, even fear of the unknown.

The Carpathians took them in soundlessly, dropping out of the sky a distance from the cave to allow the elite hunters to get their feet on the ground again. Jacques, Vikirnoff and Nicolae went with Lykaon, Arnou and Fen, spreading out a couple of feet apart to the left. Falcon, Dimitri and Tomas went with Zev, Daciana, Convel and Gunnolf to the right, again spreading out so that they made less noise as they stalked the rogue pack.

Dimitri, the lookout on that side is just a little over nine meters from you, to your left. He hasn’t spotted you yet, Tatijana warned.

Take care that you don’t do anything to tip Zev off that you’re anything but a Carpathian, Fen warned hastily, cursing himself for not maneuvering Dimitri to stay in his group.

Dimitri didn’t answer him. Instead, he held up a clenched fist. Immediately all members of his hunting party dropped low and stayed completely silent. Dimitri went to his belly and shifted to a small squirrel, covering several meters before determining he might give off too much energy the werewolf would pick up.

He halted, assessing the situation. He wanted a silent kill so the lookout couldn’t warn his fellow guard or those hiding inside the cave.

You no longer give off energy, Fen reminded. You haven’t for a long time. After these last two nearly mortal wounds and all the blood given to you, you’re more mixed than Carpathian. He won’t feel you coming.

Dimitri took his brother at his word. The little squirrel easily made his way through the brush until he nearly ran into the werewolf’s foot. Just as the wolf looked down with greedy eyes, Dimitri shifted, driving the silver stake straight through the heart of the rogue. Simultaneously, he silenced any cry the man could give, by simply cutting off his windpipe. He eased the body to the ground.

It’s done. Can you get to the other one, Fen?

I see him. Going after him now.

Above their heads, Tatijana stayed in the clouds. She watched Fen creep forward, easing his body through the brush. She knew there wouldn’t be a whisper of movement and he knew exactly what he was doing, but still, she wanted to plunge down and wipe out the threat to her lifemate. Her bond with Fen seemed to be growing with every passing hour. She didn’t think it could get any stronger, but her love for him just seemed to deepen.

Fen palmed the silver stake. Insects sang all around him, undisturbed by his presence. He took a breath and let it out as he eased closer. He smelled the rancid odor of the werewolf. The rogue hadn’t washed and old decayed meat and blood clung to his fur.

Don’t move. Don’t move. Tatijana’s warning froze him. Dimitri, another coming your way as well. I think the guards are being changed.

Fen allowed his gaze to encompass the pack spread out behind him. Lykaon’s fist was clenched, a sign for them all to freeze. Apparently that had been meant for him as well. He preferred the Carpathian form of communication between hunters. Telepathy made things so much simpler.

Fen, he’s going to walk right over the top of you. Do you want me to help?

I’ve got this, sívamet. No worries. Just sit tight. Dimitri? Can you take the second guard out?

Yes. They’ll come looking when the first two don’t come back, Dimitri pointed out.

That will be to our advantage. Fen glanced around to see if any member of the pack could see him. He would have to use the speed of the H?n ku pes?k kaikak—Guardians of all—if he was going to kill both guards and keep them silent as they died.

Zev was the only one within eyesight of him to see his blurring speed. Tatijana, have Bronnie distract Zev just for a moment. I need enough time to take both guards out simultaneously. She’d better be quick. I’m running out of time.

He could hear the other werewolf breathing in short, ragged pants. He’d been injured recently and hadn’t completely healed. Fen could smell the wound. He kept his eye on Zev even as he planned the moves out in his mind.

He could reach out and touch the first guard. The second was two steps away, cursing as he got hung up on a thorny branch. The moment Zev looked away, Fen rose up fast, slamming the silver stake through the rancid werewolf’s heart with his right hand, silencing him as he did so. He turned, using his left hand to take out the second guard. The rogue never actually saw him, he was too busy trying to get brambles out of his fur when the stake went through his heart.

He felt Tatijana’s relief. She poured into his mind just for a moment, letting him feel her love before she quickly turned back to her job. Fen eased across the distance separating them until he was beside Zev.

“The others will have to use their swords to cut off their heads. I’m not hacking them off with my knife.”

Zev grinned at him. “What a wuss. All this time I thought you were so tough you carried a spare knife in your teeth just for hacking off heads.” He signaled the pack forward again.

“I trust you have a plan for entering that cave,” Fen said.

“Not exactly. I thought we’d let them come to us.”

Fen raised his eyebrow.

“That blue dragon up there came up with an idea and sent it to me through Branislava. She thought it might be fun to fill the cave with insects. The biting kind. If you’ve got your eye on her, Fen, you might reconsider. She’s intelligent and has sass. You’re old enough to know to stay away from that kind of woman.”

“Not a bad plan,” Fen agreed. His lady did have sass. You could have shared your plan with me.

I had to give Bronnie something real to distract him. He’s too smart for anything else. In any case, I didn’t want you charging in there. You and Dimitri seem to get into trouble every time I turn around. I’m in your mind, wolf man. You planned on leading the charge, didn’t you?

He shared his amusement with her. I’m faster.

You’ve been fighting other people’s battles for too long, Fen, and you can’t stop. You use your body as a shield for the others, and Dimitri is just like you.

That much was true. Dimitri was more like him than he wanted his brother to be. Dimitri was fearless in a fight. Fen would rather have him than any other at his back.

Zev signaled his pack to move forward into place. He nodded to Fen.

We’re ready down here. Do you want to do the honors, my lady? Or should I? he teased, already knowing her answer.

I lived in a cave my entire life, wolf man. I know insects. And what I don’t know I can imagine, Tatijana added with a little laugh.

The wind drifted over them, a soft, gentle touch that sent a ripple through the leaves around them. Above them, the clouds changed shapes as they lazily floated across the dark sky. A slapping sound suddenly disrupted the silence of the night. Inside the cave, a muffled yell, quickly silenced, was heard.

Suddenly at the entrance, men in various stages of shifting began pouring out of the cave, nearly falling over one another, slapping at their clothes and fur. Two stumbled and fell, creating chaos for those still inside. The two downed werewolves were trampled as those inside, desperate to vacate, simply ran over them. Swarms of red ants covered their bodies so that they looked as if their clothes and skin were alive and moving.

That woman is a terror, Zev observed, hardly able to contain his laughter. We may as well go home and let her handle this.

Fen couldn’t help but find the situation amusing. His lady did have a scary imagination, sending revved-up fire ants swarming over the werewolves. Make certain none of us get bit, he warned her.

Don’t be such a baby. She gave a little sniff of disdain, but he felt her laughter. She did have a nasty little sense of humor.

I believe in retaliation, he warned, although his threat was an empty one and they both knew it.

Tatijana laughed softly and he felt her fingers brush down the side of his face.

I brought them out of there, now it’s your turn. And check on your brother, after. Something’s not right.

What does that mean?

If I knew I wouldn’t have said to check on him. Again there was that soft laughter.

Fen shook his head, but he did locate his brother. Dimitri appeared to be like the rest of them, waiting for Zev’s signal to move in on the werewolves. He touched Dimitri’s mind, just to assure himself. Dimitri blocked a merge with him, shocking him, but he turned his head toward Fen and gave him a thumbs-up.

Fen sighed. He couldn’t worry about Dimitri in the middle of a battle with rogues. Fen counted fourteen werewolves exiting the cave. If the Sange rau were breaking the larger pack into smaller units, their numbers were definitely depleted. The units before had been much bigger, twenty-five or thirty.

Zev signaled the hunters forward. They had formed a loose semicircle around the entrance and they went at the werewolves, springing out of the brush to attack. Fen moved fast, using the silver stakes as quickly as possible, wanting to get it over with. It felt like a massacre, the screams and blood and smell of death.

He’d had several lifetimes of hunting and destroying those preying on others. He knew it was the only thing they could do, but it still was difficult at times. The rogues were caught unawares and only a handful managed to fight back. The elite hunters used silver swords to remove the heads before the bodies were gathered and burned. The scent of burning fur and flesh made him feel sick.