There was silence. Sarantha dropped her head on Vlad’s shoulder. He held her close, protectively, sheltering her against his larger body. Manolito could feel the pull of his own world drawing him, and he went, eager to get back to his own lifemate, to hold her in his arms and shelter her the way Vlad had Sarantha throughout their centuries together. When he glanced back, all he could see of them was blazing light, and then that, too, was gone and he was back in his own body.
MaryAnn gasped and threw her arms around him, fitting neatly, perfectly, into his frame. He smiled over her head at Riordan. “Thank you,” he said simply. And meant it.
18
“Are you all right? Did they hurt you?” MaryAnn skimmed her hand anxiously down Manolito’s chest. “I was so worried about you.”
“No, meu amor, but you—I saw you with blood on your shoulder and belly.” He touched her bare shoulder where the angry marks showed, then tugged up her shirt to examine the bare expanse of flesh.
Riordan cleared his throat. “I am still here.”
Neither looked up or acknowledged his statement.
MaryAnn ran her hands under Manolito’s shirt. “How did you get out of that place? I was right, wasn’t I? Maxim was trying to kill you.” She went up on her toes to press half a dozen kisses down Manolito’s throat. “You are free of the shadow world for good, aren’t you?”
Riordan scratched his head. “I just want to say one word here. Vampire. Are you listening, Manolito? She fought a vampire.”
That got through. Manolito pulled her closer and this time did a long examination of the wounds.
“I removed all the parasites, if you’re interested,” Riordan said.
Manolito swept her once again against him, raining kisses along her shoulder, his heart leaping in his chest and then settling into a steady rhythm. He should have thought of their blood. If they had managed to pull her into their world with the infected blood in her system, the blood would have called to them. Xavier might have been able to find a way to resurrect his dead army after all.
“I have to check, MaryAnn,” he said, framing her face in his hands. “I have to be certain nothing can harm you.”
“Hello! That’s such an insult, bro,” Riordan said, but he couldn’t help the grin spreading across his face. They had it bad, those two. Stubborn as mules, but still, they had eyes only for each other.
MaryAnn buried her face against Manolito’s throat, circling her arms around his neck. “Take me somewhere safe where I can breathe.” She wanted to touch him, inspect every inch of his body to make certain he hadn’t been harmed.
“We actually have a few things of importance to discuss,” Riordan tried again, knowing it was in vain, but figuring he could rack up a few teasing jabs he could pull out later on his brother. Big bad Manolito was putty in the hands of his lifemate. “You know, things like the wolf. Bad blood. What happened in the spirit world.”
Manolito lifted MaryAnn into his arms, ignoring his youngest brother. “I know a place you will love.”
Riordan rolled his eyes. “I guess I’ll just leave you two alone.” His grin widened when neither looked his way. “I can take care of Solange and Jasmine for the night, if you two—you know—want some alone time.” They didn’t even appear grateful for that. He shook his head and dissolved. There was no use trying to get anything of importance out of either of them tonight.
MaryAnn closed her eyes and laid her head against Manolito’s chest, turning her face up to the night sky. She might never get used to flying through the air, but as long as he held her so close, she could enjoy being in his arms. The wind and mist were cool on her face, and she felt safe as he whisked her over the canopy toward his surprise destination.
It didn’t take long to find the entrance to the underground cavern Manolito had discovered years earlier. The island had only two sections where the terrain rolled into what could be called hills, and they were covered in thick forest. A waterfall poured into a pool that fed the stream running down toward the river surrounding the island, picking up strength as it went, rushing and frothing over boulders and smaller rocks until it poured into the larger body of water.
MaryAnn looked around her as he set her on her feet. “It’s breathtaking.” Flowers wound up and down the trunks of the trees, blossoming in every vibrant color possible. The sound of the water added to the beauty and wildness of the place, yet it seemed a private cocoon where no one would disturb them.
Manolito waved his hands at the waterfall, and the heavy stream parted to reveal a ledge behind it. He caught her up and leapt, taking her through the spray to set her on the other side. “This was an incredible find.”
“It certainly is beautiful,” she agreed, trying to still the uneasiness in her as she looked around for bugs. Bugs and bats. “Aren’t there like a zillion different kinds of bugs in caves?” Her voice came out in a little squeak.
Manolito laughed. “You just fought a vampire, MaryAnn.”
“Yes, well, I don’t think the wolf is going to come leaping out because I see a crawly thing—no matter how scared of it I might be.”
He laughed. “Good point.”
He flicked a hand toward what appeared to be a crack in the rocks, and at once light threw the narrow tunnel behind it into relief. Slipping inside, Manolito stepped back so MaryAnn could get a clear view of the walls of tunnel leading deeper under the hill. Rows of torches cast dancing shadows along the way and illuminated the drawings covering the rock walls.
He gestured for her to go in front of him. When she hesitated, he caught her hand and tugged her to him, nuzzling her neck. “Your wolf will love this place.”
She relaxed against his body, tilting her head to look up at him. “I’m sure she will, but I was thinking more along the lines of a five-star hotel. Is that really asking too much? I mean, come on, Manolito, a cave. Do I look like a woman who goes exploring dark places where bugs congregate?”
She hadn’t even mentioned the bats, and maybe she was getting all girly on him, but really, didn’t Carpathians believe in hotels? “I don’t have enough bug spray for something like this.”
“I will take care of the bugs for you. Give it a chance. You will love it.”
She sighed. He had that smile and those eyes, and the sound of his laughter, even though the sound was in her mind, made her stomach bottom out. She was merged with him and read how “cute” he found her. She would never have described herself as cute, but what the heck, she’d take it when he was enjoying himself. He wasn’t a man to laugh much, so fine, she’d walk into his cave.
“I understand where you get the whole Neanderthal mentality if you hang out here all the time,” she mumbled, but she slid through the crack, careful not to touch either side of the rock.
She swallowed fear and forced herself to walk a little way inside, just enough for Manolito to get through as well. They stood close, his body heat warming her as she studied the numerous drawings of animals on the walls. It was like an art museum of work over centuries of time. Crude stick figures gave way to more elaborate and detailed work, all holding a unique beauty and giving off a sense of timelessness. The paintings depicted a society of jaguar people. Some were in human form, some in the middle of shifting and some fully in cat form.
“Do you think they lived together like this at one time?” MaryAnn asked, touching one of the drawn cat’s ears with gentle fingers. “There’s a campfire. Men have their arms around women, and children are playing. Was it ever like this?”
“I never saw them that way, and I have been around a long time, but the jaguar and lycan really were secretive about their societies. I fought beside them a couple of times, but never saw them in their own environments.”
“You should show this to Luiz.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Perhaps someday. It is a favorite resting place of mine, and we rarely allow anyone to know where we sleep.”
There was something in his voice, in his mind, she caught. A sadness. Warin
ess. She stilled, leaning back into him. “You’re afraid Luiz won’t make it.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “I find that having emotions, particularly fear, can be disturbing. I am worried about the possibility. I like the man. I thought I had converted him solely because you asked me to, but now I am not so certain.”
She turned in his arms, her hand sliding under his hair to curl around the nape of his neck. “If he doesn’t, Manolito, it isn’t your fault. You’ve given him every chance, more than he ever would have gotten. And thank you—whether you did it solely for me, for him, or because he is a friend—thank you.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “You are very welcome.” He framed her face with his hands. “I have to check for myself that the vampire didn’t leave anything behind that could harm you. I need a minute.”
“Riordan did a good job healing me. I’m a little achy, but other than that, the shoulder and my stomach feel fine.”
He didn’t argue, merely let his physical body drop away and his spirit enter hers, taking his time to make certain not a single parasite had hidden from Riordan. When he came back to himself, she was tapping her foot.
“Are you satisfied?”
“Yes. For now. Later I intend to inspect every inch of your skin.”
“Fine. I’m doing the same to you.”
He grinned at her. “Come, let me show you this place.” He waved casually toward the entrance, and the crack in the boulders groaned and creaked so that she gasped and nearly climbed up his shoulders.
“What the hell was that?” She literally crawled up his body. “I think this cave is coming down on top of us, Manolito.”
He tried not to laugh. She clawed for a purchase on his shoulders, her head swiveling left and right, her eyes enormous. He couldn’t help it—the laughter spilled out to become a full-blown roar. “I am closing the door.”
“Oh no, you’re not.” She had her arms around his head, practically blinding him. “And stop laughing. This isn’t funny. I’m not getting trapped in a cave, not even for you. Gorgeous can only take you so far.”
The two sides of the boulder ground together with a horrendous jarring, eliciting a screech of fear from her. The torches flickered and danced as if they might go out. She buried both fists in his hair and yanked. “Get us out of here.”
Manolito wrapped his arm around her and pulled her back down so her feet were once again on solid ground. “We do not want light shining through the falls. The idea is to be safe here. We have air. I’ll take care of bugs. Trust me, MaryAnn, this is better than a five-star hotel.”
She stared up into his face. A woman could drown in the absolute love in his eyes. She let out her breath and found calm. “Well I want room service then.”
“I intend to give you anything you want.”
The velvet caress in his voice sent a shiver running through her body. “I don’t know how you managed to get around all my defenses, Manolito, but you have.”
His slow smile made her heart nearly stop.
“I cheated. I will probably go to hell if there is such a place, because I fear I do not have the necessary remorse in me for my actions. I stole you, MaryAnn, right out from under the noses of our best hunters.”
She laughed. “You sound like you’re boasting.”
He kissed the corner of her mouth. “Maybe just a little. After all, you have to know your caveman can bring home the dinosaur.”
She looked around suspiciously. “You’d better be joking.”
He tucked her hand in his back pocket to lead her down the long, winding tunnel. Torches lined the way, burning brightly and showing her he was keeping his promise—there wasn’t a single bug in sight.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about this Carpathian-wolf thing we have going,” she said, trying not to keep staring at his butt. He had a nice ass.
His laughter was soft. “I was just thinking the same thing about you.”
“What?” She tried to sound innocent.
“Ass. Butt. However you want to describe that particular portion of your anatomy. Yours is quite nice. I was just thinking how you looked in those red heels. You take my breath away, woman.” She did a whole lot more than that. His body hardened and thickened with every step he took. With her mind firmly merged with his, knowing she was thinking along the same lines as he was only heightened the ache.
He wanted to get her out of her clothes and inspect every single inch of her body to make certain she was all right. And he wasn’t going to let her out of his sight again—at least not for a long, long time.
He swung around and pulled her to him, kissing her hard, his tongue sliding into her mouth to tangle and dance and reclaim her all over again.
MaryAnn recognized the hint of desperation wrapped in the hunger. She pulled back, smoothing his hair. “What is it?”
Her voice. The way she effortlessly slipped inside his head, surrounding him with warmth and comfort, enveloping him in love—he felt it now, where it hadn’t been before. He didn’t know what he’d done to earn it, but he was grateful.
He pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes briefly, inhaling her scent. “They could not kill my physical body in the spirit world, so they tried to kill my soul.”
She felt the involuntary shudder that went through him. “How, Manolito? Tell me how.”
He knew she didn’t have a clue that her tone held a hidden compulsion. She wanted to take the pain of those memories away. Her fingers stroked and caressed his hair, slid down to his shoulders and arms, and then back up. Every touch was meant to share, to soothe. His MaryAnn. There was no one else like her. He caught her chin and bent his head to fasten his mouth to hers. She leaned into him, her soft body pliant, fitting him perfectly.
“Tell me,” she whispered.
He took a breath, fighting the images in his head. He couldn’t go there again, couldn’t let himself see her being brutalized. She gasped and he knew she saw, too.
“It’s all right, Manolito. It didn’t happen. Maxim tried to trick you.”
“He didn’t know about the wolf,” Manolito said. “Your wolf.” He tugged at her curls. “Your wolf saved us all the way around.”
She smiled up at him. “Of course it did. My wolf is totally cool.”
“Your wolf is hot,” he corrected and turned her around.
The room was oval shaped and deep, wide and spacious. Thousands of colored crystals covered the walls. The lights from the torches picked up the many colors, scattering rainbow prisms dancing all around the room. The bed was enormous, a big four-poster of carved exotic wood, with wrought iron embellishing it. She stepped close to it, running her hands over one of the posts. The moment she touched it, she knew he had made it.
“This is real.”
He nodded. “I like working with my hands. My brothers call it my vice.” He led her around to the head of the bed, where she could examine the board there. Two small tables stood on either side, but it was the headboard that intrigued her. There were symbols, hieroglyphics, carved into the wood and several small iron rings embedded across it.
“What does this say?”
“It is in an ancient language.”
“And?” she prompted.
“To bring only pleasure to ainaak sivamet jutta.”
“You’ll have to translate that as well.”
“Forever to my heart connected. My love. Wife. Lifemate. You.”
“You made this bed for me?”
“It was made for the other half of my soul. Yes. For you. I poured everything I felt for you into this. Every dream. Every fantasy. I tried to think of every way I could pleasure you and make certain I was ready for that. I studied every century’s new ideas on sensual pleasure, every culture’s ideas, and learned as much as I could.”
The idea was almost frightening. “I’m not exactly all that experienced, Manolito.”
“A mind merge is a wonderful thing,” he pointed out. “So are you happy with the accommodation
s? We have privacy, warmth, and I can assure you, the mattress is the top of the line.”
She had no doubt about that. Manolito didn’t do anything halfway. “Okay, it’s five-star all right. But where’s the service?” she teased.
He smiled, his sinfully sexy smirk that seemed to burn slow and mean through her entire body. “I have plans to provide service all night. Did I mention I love your shirt?” His hands went to the leather straps circling her neck. The golden leather fell so that the soft jersey drape dipped even lower. It had skimmed the swell of her breasts, but now her nipples peeked out at him. “Oh, yeah, I like this top,” he reiterated and bent his head to flick each nipple with his tongue.
She shivered as his hair slid over her skin, a fall of midnight silk she couldn’t help invading with her fingers. “Take your shirt off, Manolito.”
He stepped back, bringing her hands to the buttons. “You take it off for me.” His black eyes seemed to scorch her skin.
MaryAnn slid the buttons aside one at a time, and with each one, her lungs became a little more labored. She used her palms, fingers splayed wide on his chest, to push the shirt aside and up and over his broad shoulders. She tugged it off and let it fall. His skin glowed in the dancing firelight. God, he was beautiful. Built like a man should be built. If that made her shallow, then all right, she’d accept that. She ran her palms over the defined muscles of his chest and then down to his six-pack and narrow waist.
Above her head, his features were strong—his jaw, his nose, the high cheekbones. He kept his chin up, looking over her head as she leaned in to press kisses along every delineated muscle.
“You will need to remove my shoes before you can my trousers,” he pointed out.
Her heart jumped and she glanced up at him through her lashes, but he continued to study a spot above her head. She moistened her lips and crouched down to untie his shoes. She knew he could simply wish his clothes away, but she didn’t want him to and maybe he was reading that in her mind. She wanted the sensual discovery of unwrapping his body, a gift, a treasure, just for her.
Christine Feehan 5 CARPATHIAN NOVELS Page 186
