Dark Storm ('Dark' Carpathian Series)

by Christine Feehan

  Enough, sivamet. You cannot take too much at once. Just enough for an exchange.

  She heard his words as if from a great distance. Her blood roared in her ears. She wasn’t certain what he meant, but she couldn’t stop. Dax was forced to gently insert his hand between her mouth and his chest.

  “Te avio päläfertiilam.” He caught her hips in both hands, sliding her closer, pushing her legs over his shoulders. “You are my lifemate.”

  With a small sob she fell back, her gaze locked with his. Her body was threatening to explode, so tight she was afraid she’d shatter into pieces. That movement of his body had his shaft stroking and caressing deep inside her. Brushstrokes of white-hot fire. She was so close to that edge, yet she couldn’t tumble over.

  “Dax.” She cried out his name, reaching for him, her mind hazy, needing him to take her over the cliff with him. “Please. I can’t …” She didn’t know what she needed from him, only that she was burning from the inside out.

  Dax surged forward, a steel spike of living flesh, burying himself over and over. Deep. So deep. She swore she felt him piercing through her stomach. Over and over. So hard. He pistoned into her, driving deeper still until she was certain he found his way into her soul. There was no pause, no moment to catch her breath, just that relentless pounding at her body.

  Riley dug her nails into his arms, her head tossed mindlessly, her lungs burned for air. Deep in her mind, she heard herself scream. Her mouth was open, but no sound actually emerged. Her body clamped down hard on his. The orgasm ripped through her, shattered her, melting bones and muscles, burning cells and tissue in an explosion of shocking pleasure. She felt Dax erupting much like a fiery volcano, pulse after hot pulse while her body seemed to shatter into a million pieces.

  Dax slumped over her, breathing raggedly, his heart pounding so hard she could hear it. She couldn’t move, her body still alive with pleasure, but leaden, her arms so heavy she couldn’t find the strength to move her hands into that thick pelt of hair she loved touching.

  Dax turned his head into her neck. Ainaak sívamet jutta oleny. The whisper filled her mind. “You are bound to me for all eternity.”

  Another shock wave of pleasure washed through her. She shuddered, her body climaxing again and again. She could feel something different inside. She was … more. Evolving. Tied to him. She never wanted to let him go. It seemed as if there were millions of tiny threads weaving them together.

  Dax brushed kisses over her eyes. “Ainaak terád vigyázak. You are always in my care.”

  Her body shuddering, Riley forced herself to find the energy to lift her hand to his face. His impossibly long lashes were wet. She touched the tips gently.

  He turned his head to catch her fingers in his mouth, sucking gently before releasing her. “The binding ritual is our version of marriage, only more permanent. It binds your soul to mine. Perhaps I should have waited until you really have more of a concept of what you’re getting into. It’s no excuse, but I don’t want to be alone again, Riley.”

  “Neither do I,” she assured, blinking back tears. “I want this. No matter what happens, Dax, I choose to be with you. You warned me there would be no going back. I’m prepared for that.”

  He rolled over, taking her with him, so that she sprawled across his chest. Riley buried her face in the junction between his neck and shoulder, exhausted. She was certain when she was alone, she would be aghast at the enormity of her decision, but she clung to him, one hand in his hair while the other smoothed over his chest.

  Dax wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. “Are you going to sleep?”

  “Yes. You can gather the flowers for Gary and Jubal,” she said. “I’m not moving for the rest of the night.”

  Dax laughed softly and brushed a kiss on top of her head. “As you wish, my lady.”

  14

  Riley woke just before sunset. How she knew it was only minutes away, she wasn’t certain, but there was no doubt in her mind exactly when the sun would sink from the sky. She thought the continual drone of the insects might have woken her, the sound seemed so amplified in her head she clapped her hands over her ears. Birds flitted overhead in the trees, the squawking and chattering much louder than normal as they prepared for a long night of predators hunting them. Everything was so much louder, including several of the men’s snoring.

  Her hand hurt, and when she lifted it to inspect it, it was quite swollen. A spider, or some insect had clearly bitten her and she had an allergic reaction. She couldn’t remember having allergies to bites, but in the rain forest, she knew the insects could carry all sorts of venom. She would have to do something about it. Her first aid kit was in her backpack.

  Annoyed, she sat up in her hammock and surveyed the campground. Her body was deliciously sore in places she hadn’t known she had. Her heart was pounding a little bit too hard at the enormity of what she’d done—giving herself to Dax. She wasn’t irritated with anyone but herself.

  She had to be honest, she’d practically thrown herself at him. He’d even tried to talk her out of it. In truth, counting actual days, she’d barely met him, but she felt as if she knew him better than she’d known anyone in her life. Sharing his mind, she learned so much about him.

  Riley bit down hard on her thumb, scraping her teeth back and forth along the nail, trying to reconcile her staid little life with her behavior in the rain forest. Was she going to go all stupid and regret such an amazing, incredible, hot first time? It wasn’t as if she was in high school. She was a college professor for heaven’s sake. If she wanted to have sex with the hottest vampire hunter in the rain forest, she certainly didn’t have to be ashamed of it.

  Was she ashamed? Hell no. She would never regret giving herself to him, but it hadn’t been just her body. With a little sigh she shoved long tendrils of hair that had worked their way out of her braid away from her face. She blushed at the memory of Dax pulling out the thick weave, at the memory of his hands in her hair. He had been the one to braid it again, right after he’d collected the flowers for Gary. She’d remained sprawled out naked on the bed, too exhausted to move. Again she felt the color rising into her face.

  If it had been just sex she’d had with Dax, she wouldn’t be so nervous. She’d given him her heart and soul. Basically she’d jumped off a cliff and had no idea if there was a safety net. He’d shatter her if he didn’t feel the same way about her that she felt about him. And there it was. The entire problem. He professed to feel the same way, and last night, she’d been in his mind and had been so certain, but today, she could hardly bear being away from him.

  The separation clawed at her. She found she couldn’t turn her mind away from him. She felt as if she were holding her breath, waiting for his arrival. She detested that the women in her family were so close to their mates that they wanted to be with them every moment. She had made herself into an independent woman, well educated, able to take care of herself. She spent time with friends and truly enjoyed their company. She wasn’t dependent on a man for fun, or for her livelihood. Her ancestors had all died within weeks of their husbands—even her own mother.

  Riley had been so determined she would never be the same way and yet … she was obsessed with Dax. She needed to see him. She rubbed her hands over her face again, trying to think clearly, to assess the situation. There was no going back and if she could, she knew she wouldn’t. She was in love with him, more than in love. The moment his mind had shared hers, she was lost. There was no being alone ever again. She had only to reach for him and he was there. His devotion to her was easy to read. Dax didn’t attempt to hide his need or his admiration of her. For him, there truly was only Riley.

  She pulled the first aid kit from her pack and picked through it until she found the allergy cream. So why was she upset? She had no real idea of what she was getting into and she always, always, had a plan. Her mind just worked that way. She needed stability. A goal. She didn’t fling herself headfirst off a cliff and have no idea how
she was going to land. She didn’t give herself to a man. No, not a man—a Carpathian who considered humans a food source. Ever since she’d set foot in the rain forest, things had been out of control.

  She smeared the cream over her swollen hand, sighing as the wind shifted, slightly teasing her face, telling her she wasn’t alone. “Weston,” she greeted without turning her head. Carefully she put everything back in the first aid kit and stowed the kit in her backpack. “I thought we had an agreement. You were going to stay away from my sleeping area. I like privacy.”

  “I wanted to talk to you, before the others got up.”

  Riley sighed and turned her boots upside down to make certain nothing had crawled into them in the middle of the night. She had to admit Don Weston sounded conciliatory, but still, she braced herself, grateful she had the gun Jubal had given her. She even went as far as to feel for it where it was hidden in her sleeping bag on the hammock. “Sure, what is it?”

  “Look, I know you don’t like me. And I have to admit, you have a good reason. I drink too much when I have to go out to these places. I hate the wilderness. I hate everything about it, especially the bugs. I know I was a jerk, but it was supposed to be harmless fun and it gives me a certain image.” Weston scowled and toed the buttress root of the tree closest to him. He glanced over his shoulder toward the other men and lowered his voice even more. “This is going to come as a big shock to you, but I’ve got a couple of sisters …”

  Riley’s head went up and she stared at him, very surprised. She couldn’t equate this man with a mother let alone sisters. “I never suspected.”

  Weston looked back toward Mack Shelton and pushed at the rotting vegetation with the toe of his boot. “Yeah, I have sisters, and I keep them away from my friends.”

  “So that’s why you came with us up the mountain instead of turning back with the professor. It seemed so out of character for you,” Riley said.

  He scowled at her, shrugged and gave a little sigh. “Let me just get this out. This man, Dax, I know you all said you knew him from before, but I don’t think you really know what he’s like. I talk a good game, and maybe I don’t come off as someone you’d trust all that much, but men like that …” He trailed off, shaking his head.

  Riley slipped the gun from her sleeping bag to her backpack. She began to take her hammock down, needing something to occupy her hands while she listened to Weston’s revelations. Besides, as soon as Dax arrived, they’d be on the move again.

  “He’s all charm and looks great, but he’s dangerous. I’ve seen a few men like him, and they explode into vicious fighters when they’re crossed. He’s not the kind of man I’d want my sisters dating, that’s all.”

  Riley shoved her hammock into her backpack, took a breath and turned around to face Weston. He was trying to warn her, which was sweet in a way, but he was far too late; she was already lost. She knew Dax was dangerous to her, but not in the way Weston obviously meant.

  Electricity arced over her skin and sizzled in her veins. He was close. Dax. Very close. Her entire body instantly tuned to his. His scent drifted to her on the evening breeze, all the spice and masculinity, the outdoor, wild scent she recognized as Dax. She took a breath and breathed him into her lungs.

  At once she felt wholly alive and unbelievably sensual. She was aware of her breasts tingling, her nipples growing taut, the smoldering fire in the pit of her stomach she’d only been dimly conscious of flaring to life. How did he do that? She hadn’t even laid eyes on him yet.

  She forced her attention back to Weston, managing a smile. “I appreciate the warning, Don. I’ll be careful.”

  How careful? Do you think to resist me now?

  The words shimmered into her mind. There was an edge to Dax’s voice that both frightened and thrilled her. His fingers slipped over her injured hand. At once the sting was gone. His hard body brushed against hers from behind. He pushed his hips close so that his heavy erection was imprinted against her body. Strong fingers stroked caresses over her right breast. Her stomach tightened. Her thighs ached. How could he do that when he wasn’t even visible?

  How is it that you are always surrounded by men, sivamet? I find I do not like this habit of yours, always to be with other men.

  Now his breath was warm against her neck. His tongue licked along her leaping pulse. Strong teeth bit down on her neck, right over that now pounding pulse. The bite stung, but his tongue eased the ache.

  Um, I am traveling with them, she felt compelled to point out. Deliberately she pushed her buttocks back into him. Or hadn’t you noticed?

  Happiness burst through her. He had come. Her stomach settled down, her heart quit pounding. She found herself following the rhythm of his lungs.

  How many others have warned you about me?

  Sharp teeth grazed the side of her neck a second time and her womb spasmed. Her knees went weak. He definitely wasn’t happy to find Weston alone with her in her private little sanctuary cautioning her about Dax. She poured into his open mind. Her hunger for him. Her secret amusement that Weston, of all people, would try to counsel her.

  You find him sweet. The last word was uttered with sarcastic contempt.

  His teeth bit down a third time, hard enough to take her breath away. But there was that clever tongue, bathing the small wound in healing, numbing saliva. His teeth scraped back and forth over her pulse. Her body went weak in anticipation, weeping in welcome for him. She waited, closing her eyes, needing his erotic bite.

  “Riley, are you all right?” Weston asked, a hint of concern creeping into his voice. “I really didn’t want to upset you. I felt it was important that someone say something to you.”

  She startled, forgetting for a moment that Don Weston was still close by.

  Answer him so he goes away. He’s very uncomfortable in the role of protector. And he lusts after you. He can barely keep his hands off you. It is best for his health if he puts distance between you immediately.

  You can’t possibly be jealous of Don Weston. That trait seemed so out of character, almost petty, and beneath Dax.

  There is no reason to be jealous of a man you do not have regard for. Dax sounded a little arrogant.

  It was difficult to think straight with his body so close to hers. His intoxicating scent enveloped her, heightening her awareness of him. He only came to warn me. He’s never once tried anything he shouldn’t.

  His teeth, scraping rhythmically back and forth over the pulse in her neck, were very distracting, making it nearly impossible to think clearly. His hands slid up her body, inside her shirt, to cup her breasts. He stood behind her, unseen, his heat surrounding her, his heavy erection pressed tightly against her and all she could think about was having him again and again. Was it possible to fall in love with a man’s body?

  He is not a good man. He envisions himself as one, but he makes himself believe women want him because he feels he’s entitled to them. Sooner or later, he will do harm to a woman and that woman will not be you. There was no mistaking the menace in his voice. I am a hunter of evil. Human or Carpathian. It does not matter to me. It is my duty to destroy evil where I find it.

  A shiver of fear slithered down her spine. She had known all along that Dax was dangerous, she didn’t need Weston to tell her that. He could go from old-world courtly to explosive violence in seconds.

  He has sisters.

  Dax bit down right in the sweet spot between her neck and shoulder. His body felt as hard as a rock, unyielding, his arms strong, surrounding her. Heat rose around her, seeping from his body to hers. Pressure coiled tighter and tighter in her most feminine core, hunger rising sharp and terrible, an ache only he could assuage.

  If I tell you what goes on in his mind when he’s around his sisters, you would not be championing him.

  “I’m fine, Don,” she managed to get out, her voice far too husky. “Thanks for the warning, I’ll be very careful. But I do have to pack fast; we need to make the river today.”

  The smell
of food made her slightly nauseous. The others were finishing up breakfast and breaking camp. She really wanted to yell at Weston to leave so she could be alone with Dax before the others were ready to go. She needed to be alone with him. She bit down hard on her lip. She was a grown woman who had no business acting so wantonly.

  You’re making that up, aren’t you? Surely Dax couldn’t know such a thing about Weston.

  Night fell in soft shades of dove gray, dropping around her like a blanket, but she was still out in the open with only a few trees and that thin veil of protection to shield her. No one could see what Dax was doing, and so far she had managed to retain some semblance of decency, when all she really wanted to do was strip off her clothes and impale herself on Dax.

  Dax’s heavy erection burned like a brand along the curve of her buttocks. His hands began a slow, deliberate massage of her breasts, fingers tugging and rolling her nipples while his mouth blazed fire up and down her neck. She had to stifle a moan of sheer pleasure. Sensation swept through her like a tidal wave.

  Believe me, sivamet, I wish that I was. He is a very depraved man. He just hasn’t made the last leap to his full potential.

  The moment Weston shuffled off, she allowed her head to loll back on Dax’s shoulder, weak with need. Dax’s mouth went back to her neck, teeth scraping along her pulse. Her blood surged hotly, every nerve ending screaming for him to bite down. Her breath came in ragged gasps of pure need.

  She had no control when it came to Dax. The moment he spoke, or even was near her, her body went up in flames and she threw all decorum out the window.

  No one can see. I’m shielding you from their view. Even if they walk over here, they will not be able to see you.

  His hands slid down her flat belly to drop to the waistband of her cargo pants. She thought to protest, her eyes flying open, looking around her, but his palm cupped her mound, his thumb finding that hot little button craving attention.

  You have to stop. I won’t be able to be quiet, she gasped, the tension in her belly winding tighter and tighter. He had barely touched her and she was already so close …