They both dissolved and slipped through the cracks in the stone floor to the ground below. Dimitri opened that for them as well. Skyler was too excited by the prospect of renewing her training with the wolves the following evening to have her usual brief moment of fear as they floated into the rich, welcoming soil.
Dimitri wrapped her in his arms, as he did each dawn, holding her close, commanding her to sleep before he settled the earth over them and secured their safeguards for the coming day.
22
Mist rolled in, long white fingers stretching through the forest and curling around thick tree trunks. The dense vapor muffled sound and lent an eerie quality to the woods. Out of that heavy fog stepped a woman. She went still, nearly blending into her background. Very slowly, she crouched low to place her hand on the forest floor, feeling the very heartbeat of the earth, checking for information, for sounds or vibrations of an enemy.
She was small, her long blond hair woven into a thick, intricate braid that reached her waist. She wore black pants that rode low on her hips and were tucked securely into black boots. Her sleeveless vest left her midriff bare. The vest had three sets of steel buckles with tiny crosses embedded in the metal, looking ornamental on the squares.
She carried a crossbow in one hand, a silver sword hung on her left hip and a knife on her right. A quiver of arrows was slung across one shoulder, some tipped in silver. Down both legs of her trousers were loops containing many sharp-bladed weapons. A low-slung holster on her hip housed a pistol as well as rows of very small, flat but extremely sharp arrowheads.
She was patient, taking her time, her palm flat on the ground, absorbing the news of the night. It was cold, but she didn't feel the chill in the air, or the mist as it gathered around her. She closed her eyes briefly, allowing her senses to see for her. Very slowly she rose, turning to her left. There, where the fog was most dense, where the trees were the thickest, her quarry lay in wait to ambush her.
She seemed to glide over the forest floor. Even the brush parted for her so that there was no whisper of movement as she made her way cautiously toward that thick stand of trees. As she approached, she felt the first stirring on her back, a small brush of fur, warning her.
Elation swept through Skyler. She continued forward a few more feet and then whipped around, her fingers already pulling the arrowheads free and snapping them with tremendous strength as she ran toward the grotesque vampire emerging from the trunk of a twisted dead fir tree. Though dead, the tree shuddered and shook as it expelled the foul creature from its depths.
Six arrowheads went up his leg, lodging deep, the formula coating them preventing the vampire from shifting into another form. She ran forward with her sword. His torso and head disappeared as did his feet, lost in the thick fog. Only one of the vampire's legs remained behind, a strange, almost laughable sight.
Cursing in a very unladylike manner, Skyler halted her attack. "I can't believe I made such a stupid mistake."
The leg disappeared as if it had never been. Ivory and Razvan materialized in front of her. Dimitri wrapped a comforting arm around her.
"You listened to your wolves," Ivory said. "But the arrows have to go from belly to shoulder if you want to be able to take the heart."
Skyler couldn't help but smile. "Frost warned me. I was so proud of him. I actually knew it was him and not Moonglow. I can tell the difference between them now."
Frost had a beautiful silver coat, thick and unusual, tipped in white so that he appeared to be covered in frost. The lone female was a beautiful specimen, her pelt so silver she glowed like the moon. Ivory had named her Moonglow, but most of the time they called her Moon. Both rode on her back as tattoos, so that she had eyes and ears on both sides and behind her, aiding her on the hunt.
She was grateful the four pups had accepted Dimitri and her as their pack leaders, the alphas they looked to. She knew it was Dimitri's calm, decisive manner and firm leadership that had captured the pups' attention, but she was getting better every single day.
Shadow was darker, a thick pelt of nearly black fur, tipped in gray so that he could slide through the darkness without detection, and he was definitely an alpha. He adhered to Dimitri's back along with Sonnet, the wolf with the most surprising voice. He was large and a stealthy hunter, working closely with Shadow to bring down game.
"Did Moon give you any indication there was a threat to you?" Ivory asked.
Skyler sighed. "If she did, I didn't feel it. I think she's still in a snit because I tried carrying them as a fur coat earlier. When I shrugged it off and tried to throw it out smoothly to allow them to go free, instead of the coat sailing through the air flat, the pelt was bunched up and she got tangled. She let me know she wasn't happy."
Ivory shook her head, covering her smile with one hand. "I had so much trouble with the coat," she admitted. "It isn't easy to learn all of the different weapons, as well as how to hunt with the wolves. The movement on your skin has to be subtle. You never want anyone to know your wolves are the real deal."
Skyler nodded. Ivory had so much to teach her.
Us, Dimitri corrected. I'm learning, too.
You're so good at everything. I feel like the dunce in class. I'm used to being the top student.
Dimitri burst out laughing. Both Ivory and Razvan raised eyebrows.
"I'm sulking because I'm not at the top of my class," Skyler confessed with a wry grin. "Dimitri thinks that's very funny. I really want to be able to do this."
Ivory smiled at her, touching her arm briefly. "The most difficult task has already been completed. The wolves had to accept you. You will have to find another female for Shadow. Little Moon is his sister, and she doesn't have an alpha bone in her body."
"Actually Shadow will find her in time," Razvan said. "When he does, you'll know, and you'll have to train her as well."
"They need to be worked with every day," Ivory cautioned. "A pack is cohesive and successful as long as they have good leaders. You have to hunt with them when they go after game. Direct and help them. That's part of being alpha."
Skyler ducked her head. She didn't mind hunting and killing vampires, but it was difficult for her to hunt live animals even though she knew the wolves needed to eat. She was working hard to overcome that squeamish feeling in the pit of her stomach each time they took the wolves out to hunt.
More and more, she wanted to spend time learning to use her weapons and the wolves for hunting vampire, not game. She was determined to be an asset to Dimitri. If it took centuries of practice she was going to make certain she was the best so he didn't have to worry.
"I'll always worry when you're in danger," Dimitri said aloud.
"Not if I get really good at this."
"Even then," he assured. "But I'm very proud of you, Skyler. You've come a long way in this last week."
"Ivory is one of the best hunters we have," Razvan said, "but as her lifemate, I worry. That's not something that will go away. You're improving every time we go out."
Skyler sent him a smile of thanks. "I'm not very good with a crossbow yet," she admitted. "And I'll need to be if I'm going to be of any use on a hunt."
Dimitri winced a little at that. She planned to hunt vampire with him, just as Ivory and Razvan did together. The idea still didn't sit well with him, although she learned fast and the wolves would give them an edge. He had to admit that she'd been a huge asset when she'd rescued him. Without her, he'd be dead. She didn't panic and she was methodical.
Skyler sent him a long look from under her lashes. He knew that look. He found himself giving her a sheepish smile. "You've already wrapped me around your little finger, sivamet, I can't deny you anything. But you will wait to hunt until we all think you're ready. All three of us, not you."
Skyler resisted rolling her eyes. Razvan would side with Dimitri, saying just a little longer before she could hunt with him, but Ivory . . . She smiled at the woman who was fast becoming a close friend and ally. Ivory would advocate for her, b
ut only if she worked hard and learned the lessons necessary to become an asset to Dimitri.
"I know I can't possibly learn every weapon in a few weeks, but eventually I will."
"You can't just know how to use them," Ivory said. "You have to have it be second nature to you. Vampires use all kinds of tricks, illusions and deadly poisons, not to mention their own weapons, when you hunt them. You can't hesitate when you go in for the kill. We'll keep working on your training until we know for certain you're capable of destroying the undead."
"I know you don't like to hunt game," Razvan added, "but that, more than anything, will help you adapt to hunting with the wolves. Your speed, stealth and ability to read the animals will improve fast."
"You need to create a home for the wolves so that they're with you all the time," Ivory added. "Your house will serve you well, but they'll need to know they can lie by the fire while you're moving around the other rooms. When you go to ground, they'll want to go to ground with you. Never forget they're Carpathian and need the rejuvenating soil just as you do."
Skyler reached out her hand to Dimitri. Immediately his fingers closed around hers and she felt the warmth of his love enfolding her like a blanket. More, the wolves felt it as well. Already, she was tuning to them, sharing her mind with them, as Dimitri did so naturally. They seemed to snuggle closer to her, brushing against her back in affection before settling.
She knew they had difficult times ahead. A war with an unknown enemy was brewing and her people had to be protected. She wanted to be able to fight if necessary, to protect those she loved. The wolves gave her added confidence.
"The tattoos suit the two of you," Razvan said. "I would never have thought those scars would diminish in the way they have, Dimitri. I can barely see evidence of them, only faint white circles. On your back, the fur of your wolves just blends seamlessly."
Dimitri tugged until Skyler was beneath the protection of his shoulder. "Skyler has skills beyond anything I've ever seen."
A flash of pride lit Razvan's eyes. "We were all amazed that she was able to save Zev. Has anyone heard how he's doing?"
Dimitri shook his head. "He's still hanging on, thankfully. Branislava has woven her spirit to his and holds him to this world. Fen says they aren't out of the woods yet, but he has taken blood each time they've gone to feed them both."
Razvan's breath hissed out and Ivory moved closer to him, simply touching his arm in a silent gesture of comfort, reminding Dimitri that Tatijana and Branislava were Razvan's aunts. They'd all three been prisoners together in the ice fortress where Xavier had ruled and carried on his malicious experiments.
"Bronnie barely had surfaced again before she did this," Razvan said. "I hadn't even seen her." There was quiet acceptance in his voice, learned no doubt from centuries of torture and having to accept things outside of his control, no matter how distressing.
"Bronnie knew what she was doing," Skyler explained. "There was no other way to save him. His wound was so bad, fatal, however you want to put it. It took all three of us working for what seemed hours to mend him from the inside out. Had Bronnie not woven her spirit to his, and locked him to her, he would have drifted away."
"I don't understand," Razvan said. "A spirit can be surrounded and held, why would she have to tie her fate to his?"
Ivory took his hand. "He would have chosen to leave us," she said softly. "But his instincts to protect others are very strong in him. She knew that, didn't she, Skyler?"
Skyler nodded. "We all saw it in him. He's deadly and scary when you first get inside his head, but then you find his first instinct is to defend and shield others. By weaving her spirit through his, Bronnie took away his choice to leave. He would take her with him if he did, and that is something almost beyond Zev's capability."
"Unless the wound kills him," Razvan said.
Skyler nodded. "There's always that. But I go nightly to work on him, and Mother Earth has accepted him as her son. She works harder than I do to attempt to save him. I think he's getting better. A wound like his is such a trauma to the body. It takes time."
"He's Lycan," Dimitri added. "Lycans regenerate faster than most, and because he's now mixed blood, that should give him added strength and speed to recover."
Razvan nodded, his gaze on his daughter's face. "Thank you. I know what you did was extremely difficult, no matter how many times you say you had help. The toll it took on you showed for many days after. If Bronnie lives, it is due to your continued healing of Zev's wounds."
Color rose in Skyler's face and she moved closer to Dimitri. She was very glad she finally had a relationship with her birth father and that she could do something to make him proud of her.
"Are you ready for another run at this?" Ivory asked. "This time you should hunt together and when you find your prey, release the wolves and coordinate the attack on the vampire with your pack to give them hunting experience with the undead."
Skyler's heart jumped with pure joy. "I'm ready." She looked to Dimitri.
He leaned down, uncaring of their audience, and found her mouth with his. He took his time kissing her, allowing himself to get lost in her for just a moment. He lifted his head, his eyes dark with desire. Very slowly he smiled down at her. "Let's do this then."
Skyler went up on her tiptoes and kissed him back. "I'm with you." She always would be. Right there, by his side.
Keep reading for an excerpt from the next exciting Carpathian novel by Christine Feehan
DARK BLOOD
Available September 2014 from Berkley Books!
Sound came to him first. A low drumming beat growing louder. Zev Hunter felt the vibration of that rhythmic booming throughout his entire body. It hurt. Each separate beat seemed to echo through his flesh and bone, reverberating through his tissue and cells, jarring him until he thought he might shake apart.
He didn't move. It was too much of an effort even to open his eyes and figure out what that disturbing, insistent call was--or why it wouldn't go away. If he opened his eyes he would have to move, and that would hurt like hell. If he stayed very still, he could keep the pain at bay, even though he felt as if he were floating in a sea of agony.
He lay there for a long time, his mind wandering to a place of peace. He knew the way there now, a small oasis in a world of excruciating pain. He found the wide, cool pool of blue inviting water, the wind touching the surface so that ripples danced. The surrounding forest was lush and green, the trees tall, trunks wide. A small waterfall trickled down the rocks to the pool, the sound soothing.
Zev waited, holding his breath. She always came when he was there, moving slowly out of the trees into the clearing. She wore a long dress and a cape of blue velvet, the hood over her long hair so that he only caught glimpses of her face. The dress clung to her figure, her full breasts and small waist, the corset top emphasizing every curve. The skirt of the dress was full, falling over her hips to the ground.
She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Her body was graceful, fluid, an ethereal, elusive woman who always beckoned to him with a soft smile and a small hand gesture. He wanted to follow her into the cool forest--he was Lycan, the wolf that lived inside of him preferred the forest to the open--but he couldn't move, not even for her.
He stayed where he was and simply drank her in. He wasn't a man clever words came easily to, so he said nothing at all. She never approached him, never closed the distance between them, but somehow, it never mattered. She was there. He wasn't alone. He found that as long as she was close to him, the terrible pain eased.
For the first time though, something disturbed his peaceful place. The booming beat found him, so loud now that the ground lifted and fell with an ominous, troubling thump. The water rippled again, but this time he knew it wasn't the wind causing the water to ring from the middle of the pool outward. The drumbeat throbbed through the earth, jarring not only his body but everything else.
The trees felt it. He heard the sap running deep in t
he trunk and branches. Leaves fluttered wildly as if answering the deep booming call. The sound of water grew louder, no longer a soft trickling over rocks, not a steady drip, but a rush that swelled with the same ebb and flow as the sap in the trees. Like veins and arteries flowing beneath the very earth surrounding him, making its way toward every living thing.
You hear it now.
She spoke for the first time. Her voice was soft and melodious, not carried on the wind, but rather on breath. One moment she was on the other side of that small pool of water, and the next she was sinking down into the tall grass, leaning over him, close to him, her lips nearly skimming his.
He could taste cinnamon. Spice. Honey. All of it on her breath. Or was it her skin? His Lycan senses, usually so good at scent, seemed confused. Her lashes were incredibly long and very dark, surrounding her emerald eyes. A true emerald. So green they were startling. He'd seen those eyes before. There was no mistaking them. Her bow of a mouth was a man's perfect fantasy, her lips full and naturally red.
The booming continued, a steady, insistent beat. He felt it through his back and legs, a jarring pulse that refused to leave him alone. Through his skin, he seemed to follow the path of water running beneath him, bringing life-giving nutrients.
You feel it, don't you? she insisted softly.
He couldn't look away. Her gaze held his captive. He wasn't the kind of man to allow anything or anyone to ensnare him. He forced his head to work--that first movement that he knew would cost him dearly. He nodded. He waited for the pain to rip him apart, but aside from a little burst through his neck and temples that quickly subsided, the expected agony never came.
What is it?
He frowned, concentrating. The sound continued without a break, so steady, so strong and rhythmic, he would have said it was a heart, but the sound was too deep and too loud. Still, it was a pulse that called to him just as it called to the trees and grass as if they were all tied together. The trees. The grass. The water. The woman. And him.
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