«Well, then, we're both imagining the same thing,» Skyler said, moving closer to Alexandria. «I sometimes can feel things near. Let me just…»
«No!» Alexandria said sharply. «You have no way of knowing if it is a friend-or monster. If you open your mind, you might lead him right back to you. I've called Aidan to us and he is sending Gabriel as well.» She spoke as Skyler stepped into another ice-covered puddle. The crunch was loud in spite of the snowflakes, and muddy water spurted out in a long spray.
A shadow fell across the snow, a dark stain looking all too familiar to Alexandria. An arm reaching-stretching obscenely-growing as if made of rubber. Insubstantial-shadow only-yet she could see it reaching toward Skyler, slithering over the rocks and through the shrubbery like a snake. If it hadn't been snowing she would never have seen, but with the white background, the fingers of the hand appeared bony and gnarled, an old hand with talons for fingernails.
To her horror, the dirty water from the puddle moved as well, ringing a tall tree like a dark noose, cutting into the trunk as if it were a garrote.
«Skyler!» Alexandria leapt forward even as Skyler instinctively jumped back. The tree splintered and cracked, the earth rocking beneath them. Alexandria could have dissolved into vapor, but she refused to leave the teenager exposed. She hurtled herself at the girl, intending to use her blurring speed to sweep them both to safety, but the shifting ground split, taking Skyler from her grasp. The best she could do was shove Skyler as far from her as possible, hoping to keep her from being smashed by the tree toppling down.
Even as the tree trunk groaned and splintered and the earth rolled, there was a terrible sound as the tree broke in half, knocking the top from the tree and driving the large, heavy branches straight down on them. Alexandria felt the blow to her head, the branch that picked her up and swept her down with alarming force. For one moment she thought she heard voices murmuring in a foreign language quite close, but she couldn't make out what they said. She tried to turn her head, to see where Skyler was, but the movement brought on pain, a haze of stars that faded away to leave a black, yawning void.
«Alexandria?» Skyler tried valiantly to control the tremble in her voice. Gabriel! Francesca! She called her family to her, a shattering cry that swept across the night. They're coming. She was pinned down under a heavy branch, her legs trapped, one hurting so much she had to fight back nausea.
Baby. We are coming. Hold on. That was Gabriel, his voice strong and vibrant, a rock to lean on.
You're hurt. Francesca's tone was gentle and soothing. Tell me how bad.
They were trying to reassure her, distract her, but Skyler felt danger surrounding her, pressing in on her with a suffocating presence. Her leg was bleeding, spilling bright red
blood across the snow. If she moved, bones rubbed together with excruciating pain, radiating through her entire body until she broke out in a sweat.
Something moved in the bushes quite close to her. She couldn't turn around to see what was creeping up on her. Hot breath exploded on the back of her neck and she cried out, trying to fling herself out of reach. Fur brushed her face as a huge wolf pushed through the maze of branches to inspect her wound.
Skyler froze, held her breath as the animal turned to look at her. The eyes were a brilliant ice-blue, startling in the midst of thick black fur. «I know you,» she whispered aloud, her heart in her throat. «I've seen you before, haven't I?»
The wolf shifted. The heavily muscled, furred body gave way to a tall, broad-shouldered man with shining black hair streaming down his back. His face was harshly sensual, a carving of stone with lines etched deep and a strong jaw and masculine mouth. His eyes were so blue they seemed to burn over her.
«Why would they allow you to come out alone?» he asked. «It was foolish of them. If they do not guard you better, I will no longer allow you to stay with them.»
As he spoke, his gaze held hers, but she could see he had separated himself from his body, becoming a strong dominant spirit. She felt his presence the instant he entered her body. She wanted to scream, to fight, to evade his spirit. He moved through her with speed and purpose, repairing the damage to the nick in her artery, the bone, and lastly the flesh. All the while she shared his mind. Knew his memories, his implacable resolve.
Dimitri. Relentless hunter of the vampire. Protector of wolves and lifemate-to Skyler.
«No!» She shook her head vigorously in denial. She wouldn't be anyone's lifemate, least of all this man with his burning eyes and his dominant nature. She couldn't conceive of being with a man so hard, so utterly certain of himself. Emotions poured into her, colors vivid and bright, so bright she feared she might go blind-or maybe it was his fear, his colors, his emotions. She couldn't separate herself, as if by entering her body to heal her, he had wrapped himself around her insides, burrowing deep to find her soul.
His mind opened to hers, a dark place of haunting sorrow and hundreds of years of dealing death without remorse. He acted swiftly, violently-with absolute resolve. If those deaths were a part of his aching loneliness and terrible sorrow, she couldn't tell. This was not a man to be swayed from his path. He followed his enemies with tenacity and ruthless, unrelenting persistence. Violence was his world and she would never-never-go back to that kind of life. She wouldn't survive. As it was, just brushing his mind and finding the darkness, the coiled demon waiting-and willing-to strike, was so terrifying she wanted to retreat to that safe place inside her where no one else could go.
«You will not.» He made it a decree, pulling out of her body and back into his own. «You need blood.»
She shook her head. «Gabriel and Francesca will give it to me.»
He turned his ice-blue eyes on her, his look so cold it burned her skin. Skyler shivered, unable to look away from him, so frightened-of what-she wasn't certain. That this man would change her life for all time. That he would consume her, swallow her whole. That he was harsh and unyielding, a man without compromise. Skyler had fought hard to belong, to come back to life when she had retreated so far. Dimitri wasn't evil, not like her father, but he was a man of violence, of strong emotions and passions, yet capable of turning it all off so that he felt nothing at all.
She shrank away from him when he reached for her mind. Skyler felt the steady, relentless pressure and tried to build a wall, thick and made of steel, impenetrable, but he was too focused and too strong. She raised her arms up defensively as he reached to draw her close to him, a small sound of fear escaping before she succumbed to his control.
Dimitri drew her into his arms, allowing pleasure to burst through him, comfort-even peace. In hundreds of years he had never expected to find her. Necessity had made him cold –brutal even, but the warmth of her body, the sound of her voice, the softness of her skin brought hope where there had been none. He could barely see with the colors so bright– barely think with emotions he hadn't experienced in centuries.
He bared his chest and whispered a command. His blood would replace that which had been lost and it would encourage rapid healing. He sensed the others coming with all speed, but he closed his eyes and gave himself up to the ecstasy of her mouth moving over his skin, taking what he offered her, forging an even stronger bond between them. Because he had so little time, he bent his head to her neck and took what was rightfully his-not enough to convert-enough only to always find her, always be able to reach into her mind.
He raised his head and looked into the eyes of Gabriel Daratrazanoff. Legend. Swift, merciless killer.
Chapter 4
Gabriel let out a long, slow hiss of anger. «How dare you touch her. She is a child and under my protection.»
Dimitri slowly shifted the weight of his body, whispering a command to stop his blood from flowing into Skyler. He rose to his full height, his lifemate in his arms. «She is no child, or she would be unable to restore colors and emotions. She is my lifemate and subject to the laws of our people.»
«She is human-a teenager, barely sixteen,» said Fr
ancesca. «It is true they mature faster than our children, but she is too young.» Francesca brushed aside Gabriel's restraining hand and held out her arms. «Give her to me before you bring her out from under your enthrallment. I don't want her to wake frightened.»
Gabriel stepped forward, his black eyes glittering with lethal menace. «I remember you, a boy who ran from us many long years ago.»
Dimitri turned his head to look at the legendary twin, blue eyes clashing with black like sharpened rapiers. «I am no longer a boy nor do I run from anything-or anyone.»
The earth shuddered, rolled slightly. «Have a care, Gabriel,» Mikhail snapped materializing with Aidan beside him. «Alexandria is trapped beneath these branches.» He searched frantically through the branches of the fallen tree for a glimpse of Alexandria.
Aidan simply burst through the labyrinth, pulverizing the wood into dust until he reached her. She lay still and white, her face turned toward him, blood trickling from her temple to streak her blond hair.
Aidan's heart nearly stopped beating. For a moment there was silence, as if the world itself stopped breathing. Images of Alexandria filled his mind. Her smiling at him, gaze filled with love, her voice teasing him, the touch of her fingers on his skin when he first woke and faced that moment of memory of his life before her existence.
He raced forward like a madman, breaking through branches as if they were mere twigs, his throat tight and his heart pounding. Her skin looked translucent, cold, her lips blue, and she was utterly still, so much so he couldn't detect breath or heartbeat. She had to be dead. He halted abruptly, his hand on his own heartbeat. No air moved through his lungs. His chest refused to rise and fall. His own heart stuttered.
He could not go on without her. There was no life without her. No happiness. Nothing but endless nights that dragged into a black empty void. He couldn't do it again-go back to the place he'd been before he found her.
«Aidan!» Mikhail caught his arm and gave him a little shake. «You look as if you are in a trance. We have to lift the heavier branches off her.»
Alexandria moaned. The sound was barely discernible, but it was enough to throw off the chilling fears that haunted Aidan. He leapt forward to smash his way to her side, waiting for Mikhail so they could easily float the remaining branches from her body.
Crouching low, Aidan swiftly moved his hands over her, grateful that she responded to his touch with her eyelashes fluttering. Her lids suddenly opened and he found himself mesmerized by her gaze. «Aidan. I knew you would come. Is Skyler safe? I tried, but…» She trailed off in an attempt to turn her head toward the teenager, but she groaned and her lashes fluttered down.
Once again, Aidan's heart reacted, faltering, his breath catching in his lungs.
«She has a concussion,» Mikhail said gently, laying a restraining hand on Aidan. The man seemed about to come apart. «Easily fixed, Aidan. Francesca is here with us, one of our greatest healers, should there be a problem.» Mikhail struggled to keep from racing
away to Raven, certain now his worst fears were confirmed. Their enemies were attacking their women and children. It took centuries-old discipline to remain where he was. He was slightly shocked that Francesca had not hurried to them, offering her services as a healer, rather than blocking Dimitri's path and trying to take the girl from him.
Aidan stroked back Alexandria's hair. «I will heal her myself.» He wanted no other to touch her. He had failed to protect her, his greatest and most cherished treasure, and he needed to merge with her, hold her close to him. He needed to watch her closer and see that no harm ever came to her.
Aidan glanced over the top of Alexandria's head to the two men standing so close, the heat of the argument shimmering in the air around them. He closed his arms protectively around Alexandria and allowed his body to slip away, leaving only white-hot energy, pure selfless spirit. He streamed through her with a quick examination before finding the bruise, already swelling, blood pulsing and pushing to leak out. He repaired the damage, making certain that she was completely healed before once again coming back to his own body and the furious argument taking place so close to him.
Aidan held Alexandria in his arms, rocking her gently back and forth all the while keeping a wary eye on the two combatants.
Gabriel took another aggressive step toward Dimitri. «Would you like to tell us exactly how this happened and how you came to be here at the same time?»
Dimitri bared his teeth. «Push me too far, Gabriel, and I will take her with me now.»
Gabriel's hand shot out, fingers locking around Dimitri's throat. «Do not threaten me or my family.»
Dimitri didn't so much as flinch beneath the crushing fingers. His gaze focused on Skyler's face. «You are my lifemate.» His voice came out husky, but it came out all the same.
«Stop! Stop, Dimitri. Gabriel, let him go now.» Francesca tugged at Gabriel's arm. «He has a blood bond. Before you could kill him, he could take her with him. Please, Gabriel. Show some sense.»
«Gabriel.» Mikhail's voice was calm. He stood beside Dimitri. «Release your daughter's lifemate. Of course you are protective of her, but this is the man who is the other half of your daughter's soul. If you kill him, you condemn her to a half-life. Be reasonable.»
Gabriel didn't feel reasonable. He wanted to tear out Dimitri's throat. The man was stealing his child. The demon rose swift and fast, roaring to be set free. He could feel Dimitri's rising rage in direct proportion to his own.
«We all need to calm down,» Francesca said. «Dimitri, give her to me. She's my daughter now, and you have no idea of the things she's suffered.»
Dimitri's face rippled with anguish-with torment-for just a split second, and then seemed a stone carving once again. «I know exactly what she's been through. She is my other half and when she cried out in fear, in rage and in desperate need, I tried to follow the path to her, but I was too far away and she was merely a child and didn't know I was trying to help. She fought me, blocking my every effort. When she suffered, believe me, I was well aware she was suffering and my torment-my humiliation that I must bear for all time is that I was unable to aid her.»
Men touching her. Abusing her. Hurting her. Her fragile spirit retreating until even he couldn't find her. The memories would haunt him for eternity, worse than any kill he'd ever made-his failure to protect the one being who it was his duty-his privilege-to protect. He had been so certain that Gabriel could see to Skyler's safety while he stayed away, making certain not to trigger the demon's need for a mate, but Gabriel had failed in his duty as well. «You did not protect her adequately,» he said accusingly.
Gabriel and Dimitri stood toe-to-toe, Skyler still cradled in Dimitri's arms, held high against his chest. «What happened here?» Gabriel demanded.
«You think I did this?» Dimitri asked.
«Didn't you?» Gabriel countered. The branches around them trembled and the air thickened.
«I did not. Her leg was broken and she was losing too much blood. I healed her as quickly as possible and gave her the necessary blood to replace what was lost-not that I owe you an explanation.»
«Please,» Francesca begged again, struggling not to cry. Her tears would set Gabriel off as nothing else could. The situation was explosive. «Let me have my daughter.»
«Do not make her ask again,» Gabriel said.
Dimitri's face darkened. «You think to keep her from me?»
The earth rolled and the trees around them shuddered. Small red flames began to flicker in the depths of Gabriels eyes. «She chooses not to be with you.»
«She is too young to know what she wants. It is not a matter of choice and well you know it. If you persist, Gabriel, I will claim what is mine now and bind her to me.»
Francesca drew in a sharp breath. «Dimitri, no. She cannot go with you and she would suffer more without you. You cannot be that cruel.»
«I will not allow you to keep her from me.»
Once more, Gabriel's hand shot out and circled Dimitri's ne
ck, fingers crushing in warning. «Give my daughter to her mother.» Each word was accompanied with a hiss.
Dimitri didn't release Skyler, but did release the enthrallment so she woke to the turmoil roiling around her. Instantly, she was aware of what transpired.
«Stop it! What's wrong with everyone?» Skyler shouted. She rubbed her wrist as if it ached. «Can't any of you feel it? Alexandria? Francesca? Something is here with us, I can feel the surge of power. Dimitri, put me down now.»
Alexandria suddenly pushed Aidan away from her, stumbled and caught herself, one hand pressed to her throbbing head. «Skyler's right. Something is here.» She looked around her at the men with their grim, angry faces. «Can't any of you feel it? Francesca?»
Blood still trickled down one side of Alexandria's face as she picked her way through the branches to Francesca. Aidan stayed closed to her, keeping a wary eye on the others, his body posture more than protectively aggressive.
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