"I don't think you understand something as fundamental as freedom, Nicolas," Lara said. "You're big and strong and have enormous power. When have you ever had anyone telling you what to do? I can't imagine many people in your lifetime have dictated to you."

"It is not the same thing." He gave a small sigh. "I have never had to do this before, and it is something I do not enjoy."

"The 'it' being someone disagreeing with you?"

"Arguing for no good reason. I cannot permit you to burn for the sake of defiance. What kind of a lifemate would that make me?

Would you truly prefer someone who cared nothing for your health and safety?""You say lifemates don't lie to one another. Can you truly say you refused to let me leave because you were worried about my skin burning, or was the reason really because I dared to defy your orders?"

He moved then, a fluid glide that sent a shiver of fear skittering down her spine. He looked like a caged jungle beast, fierce and impatient and all too dangerous. "I refuse to answer such a question. I left my mind open to you, allowing you to see everything, including my motivation. There is nothing more to say on the subject."

She drew in a deep breath, feeling his anger smoldering beneath the surface, but she couldn't quite bring herself to apologize, not even to soothe him and keep him thinking she was accepting her fate with grace.

Nicolas broke the silence first. "You have not eaten."

"I'm not really very hungry. It's been a long night." She winced as soon as the words were out of her mouth. She didn't want him to suggest they go to bed.

"I know you need blood, Lara, there is too much Dragonseeker running in your veins for you to survive without it. If you have problems with the idea of taking blood from a human, what do you do? Animal blood has never sufficed."

Lara shrugged. "Blood banks. I don't have to control people as if they were puppets." She sent him a telling look and then paced around the chamber to put a little distance between them.

He seemed to be everywhere, his presence dwarfing everything else. When he stopped moving, he went absolutely still. She could see the hunter in him. Patient. Motionless. Waiting. And he could wait forever. Panic rose and she crushed it down. No, he only seemed invincible, just as Razvan and Xavier had seemed all-powerful when she was a child. She had escaped them when she thought it impossible, and she could escape this man as well. She just had to keep thinking.

Nicolas folded his arms across his chest. "Without blood we die. Is it not better to take what we need without scaring the person and then leave him without knowledge that we have done so, then terrorizing someone when it is completely unnecessary?"

Nicolas watched Lara swing around, her hair crackling with energy, her eyes going aquamarine. "I felt that farmer's fear, that one moment before you took over his mind. And earlier, in the street, when I first met you, you made no effort to keep me from knowing what was happening when you took my blood." Her hand slid to her belt, to the knife there, her only weapon should he attack her again. The smooth handle felt reassuring.

"You cannot have it both ways, Lara. Either you want me to control his mind and keep him from being frightened, or you want me to just feed, uncaring of how the donor feels."

"Why not use a blood bank?"

He sank down onto the edge of the boulder beside the mineral pool. "You already know the answer to that. The blood does not work for us. We can survive, but not thrive. I fight vampires. I need to be at full strength at all times. What would you have me do?"

Lara pushed both hands through her hair in agitation. "I don't know. Something else. Something more respectful. People shouldn't be used for food like that. They have feelings. We aren't just mindless puppets."

"You are not human."

Her chin rose. "I may have a hodgepodge of blood running in my veins, like most humans do, by the way, but without a doubt, I think like a human. I know what it's like to be kept prisoner and dragged out so someone could tear my flesh open and drink my blood. They didn't care if I was scared, or repulsed. They didn't care what I thought or felt, I didn't matter to them anymore than that farmer mattered to you."

His dark eyes drifted over her face, taking in every detail. "Should our species give up our lives because we should not take the blood of others without consent? We are careful and respectful."

"It didn't feel very respectful to me." Mentally she kicked herself. She was supposed to be stringing him along. She needed to use her trick of distracting, banal conversation, a sugary voice, even inject humor, all tools she had found invaluable when she was growing up. Conversation sidetracked people.

Confrontation put them on edge and warned them they were dealing with someone of power. Her body reacted to her moods.

The families she lived with eventually became uncomfortable with a child whose hair and eyes changed color when she was upset. She didn't blame them for thinking she was a child of the devil; many of them were superstitious and, quite frankly- well-she was a child of the devil or the closest thing to it-at least the great-great granddaughter of the devil.

Nicolas reached for her hand. His palm slid along hers-skin to skin. Her stomach flipped. His fingers tangled around her fingers and her heart began to pound out of control. She took a deep breath and looked up at him. Instantly she felt trapped- captivated-by the intensity of his gaze. He turned her hand over and brought it to his chest.

"I have lived centuries, Lara. I was born with darkness already crouching inside of me and I fought it back every moment of my existence with nothing but honor. I am not making an excuse, I just want you to understand. This night I was too close, and you saved me. We're bound together, but the ritual is not complete. I may have been rougher than I intended with the farmer, but if I didn't calm him before he was aware, it was not intentional."

She moistened her dry lips. Deep inside where self preservation lived, she heard herself screaming, "No, no, be quiet, don't engage," but it was too late, the words were already tumbling out of her. "There was a rush, when you seized him, I felt the rush pour into you. You're addicted to it. It's amazing to be all-powerful over someone else, for that one moment to hold life in your hand and choose for them." She tilted her chin at him, tugging away her hand. "Maybe that's what kept you going on these years, not honor."

Nicolas stepped back, fury sweeping through him. His mind touched hers and he drew away, horror sweeping through him as he stepped back a few paces, just out of arm's length when he wanted to grab her and shake her. How dare she dismiss so easily his centuries of service, his fight against the darkness rising like a monster every day of his life. Worse, what kind of a lifemate would deliberately leave her mate vulnerable, completely helpless out of selfish convictions that weren't even logical or reasonable? He could see her plan as plain as day-she was waiting for the sleep of his people to overtake him and she would leave him alone and without safeguards.

He hadn't felt anger in centuries, now it welled up, a black wall of rage. No one questioned his authority, and they never questioned his integrity. She had done both in the space of a few moments.

His black eyes glowed hotly and his breath left him in a long, slow hiss. "You think to leave me when I succumb to the sleep of my people? You would do that? Leave me here, unprotected and without safeguards, knowing I could do nothing at all if I was found? You know what anyone would do should they find my body, yet you would betray me in such a way."

The waves of anger coming off of him swamped her, sent her stumbling back away from him. He looked every inch a wolf, white teeth bared, mouth set in cruel lines. There was no mercy in him for his enemies, and the moment he saw she intended to expose him to danger, she became his enemy.

A scream welled up, but she bit it back, turning on her heel and running-to where, she didn't know. She only knew if she stayed, the full brunt of his temper would be on her and he looked as if he could kill her.

He was on her fast, a lion bringing down prey easily, jerking her to a halt and spinning her around to face him. She threw up her free arm to protect herself from blows that never came. He caught her upper arms and gave her a hard shake. "I do not beat women, although if one needed it, it would be you."

Keeping a firm grip on her, he dragged her through the cavern to the chamber where the bed stood out so prominently. The sound of her heart thundered in both of their ears. He tossed her easily onto the mattress, one hand running through his thick hair."Don't you touch me." She crawled to the farthest corner near the headboard, away from him.

He moved fast, a blur of speed, towering over her, showing her she couldn't escape. "You think I could not make you want me?

You are my lifemate. Your body responds to mine no matter what your ridiculous mouth is saying." The burning in his gaze turned to speculation. "Do you want to pit your power against mine? I could make your body mine easily, and you would crave me night and day. Perhaps it would simplify both our lives."

Lara could feel the instant tingling in her body, every nerve ending reaching for him and she was horrified. Her entire body was on fire just from the intensity of his gaze, and the low seductive tone he used, as if he was already brushing her bare skin with the warmth of his palm and pads of his fingers. She had no doubt in her mind that he could enslave her sexually and that she would be no more than a puppet living with this man. He was every bit as cruel, every bit the monster only packaged differently.

The feel of her blade was reassuring against her hip. If not him, then herself. She searched for a way to disarm him, to dispel the tension between them. Her plan was still good, if she could just keep him calm an hour or so longer. The sun had to be up fairly high. She was feeling a bit lethargic herself. No matter how powerful, he couldn't stay awake forever. He would have to go to ground and sleep.

"I wasn't going to leave you without safeguards."

"Your safeguards must be known to every vampire and mage from here to the sun and back. And do not try to lie to me. I did not see your intention to guard my body while my spirit rested. You did not even think about it."

She wanted to refute his accusation, but in truth, she'd thought only to get away. Before she could suppress it, her temper flared.

"Who guards their captor? Now who is being illogical and unreasonable? You can't have it both ways." Her hair banded with stripes as her stomach churned with impotent anger.

His black eyes glittered ominously as his hand snaked out, caught her wrist and yanked her over, so that her cape fell open, exposing the scabbard on her belt. He ripped the leather free, tearing the knife from her belt and hurling it through the archway to the pool. It landed with a splash and disappeared beneath the steaming water.

Lara had the strangest reaction. There was a part of her that wanted to curl up in the fetal position, there was a part that wanted to fight tooth and nail, but there was also the most horrifying reaction, a shiver of anticipation that made her womb clench and set wings fluttering inside her stomach.

"Is that so I won't stab you through the heart when you go to sleep?" She fed his anger because she feared the dark seductive velvet in his voice-the burn of desire smoldering in his eyes. She feared the reaction of her own body to him and more than ever was afraid that he could enslave her will.

His smile held no humor, nor did it light his eyes, but was a mere flash of strong white teeth. Her heart tripped as she saw the slight length and point to his canine teeth. The effect was subtle but it was there. She tried to make herself smaller as he settled on the bed beside her. One large hand cupped her face, forcing her to look at him, to stare into his mesmerizing eyes.

"You tried stabbing me once. You chose life for us and I expect you to keep your word." As he spoke, his thumb slid back and forth across her bottom lip.

She jerked her head up. "You're trying to intimidate me."

Swift impatience crossed his face. "I do not think I have to try very hard. I left my mind open to you, gave you complete access, trusted you with everything I am, and you, in turn, closed your mind to me, accused me of heinous crimes and mistrusted me from the beginning. I grow weary of this argument."

She hoped he was. She hoped he was so weary he'd go to ground and leave her to make her escape. She kept quiet. His body crowded close, so close he seemed to be everywhere, surrounding her. He took her hand again and held out his other palm.

Veins of minerals appeared in the walls of the chamber, glowing briefly as if hot. She blinked at the sudden bright light. There was a tug on her arm and something heavy and warm snapped in place around her wrist. She opened her eyes to see him enclosing his wrist in an iron shackle, tying them together.

Lara's face went pale. She jerked her arm away. "What are you doing?" With her free hand she tried to push the iron bracelet from her wrist, but it was snug.

He paid her no attention, murmuring under his breath. She felt the surge of power and knew he was layering on safeguards, binding the shackles with magic so she would have no hope of getting them off if she didn't act fast.

Forcing back a sob, Lara countered his magic. Iron that binds and fastens tight, I seek to unlock that which holds me tight.

I summon thee mineral, blend with light, forge me a key to undo this plight. Power surged as raw minerals from the earth blended with fiery light to form a key.

Nicolas twisted quickly, pushing her to the bed, holding her arms down to keep her hands from rising to direct energy into patterns and to prevent her from grasping the key as he threw out a spell of his own.

Cease this action, intended to unbind, I take in your energy making it mine.

The key disappeared in a burst of light. At once she knew he had bested her. He was centuries old and she was rusty in her practice. She had forgotten that in the early days, when Nicolas was young, mage and Carpathian shared secrets. She was helpless, completely under his domination, a prisoner unable to escape. She blinked up at him, wanting to punch his face, but terrified of the repercussions. He leaned close, so close she could see the long dark lashes that veiled his smoldering eyes. His lips brushed the side of her mouth.

"You look like a trapped kitten, about to hiss and spit fire at me. Go to sleep. We will sort this out the next rising."

With that, he lay back, dragging her with him, rolling onto his side, his eyes closing-dismissing her. Lara held her breath waiting, not knowing what to look for. It didn't take long. His breath left his body in one rattling exhale and he lay completely motionless.

She was chained to a dead man.

The trembling started somewhere in her legs and ran up her body so strong she was afraid she would go into convulsions. She lay staring at the ceiling, her heart beating too fast, too loud, her chest hurting, lungs burning from lack of air, her mind screaming.

She was a prisoner with no control, no power, no say over her own life. It was only a matter of time before he would demand sex and she would succumb to his wishes because she would be unable to stop her body from needing his.

She shuddered. From there, he would take her blood. It was the nature of all Carpathians to take blood and she had sensed, more than once, his desire to take hers. She'd rather be dead than to live enslaved. She couldn't survive without control in her life, without a say in what she did. She couldn't allow herself to be used for food, or, as she feared would happen, sex and food.

Lara thought of her past, the few memories she did have of her childhood and knew she could never relive those times as an adult. She lay awake as the sun rose to its height and her body became so leaden she could barely move. When the sun began to sink, she began trying various spells to rid herself of the iron shackle binding her to Nicolas, but no matter what she tried, she couldn't counter his guards.

She stared up at the gem-studded ceiling without seeing it, tears swimming in her eyes. There was so much left undone that she'd promised to do, but it was too late. Her first promise had been to herself and she refused to even consider anything else. She just needed to work up enough courage to escape in the only way left to her.

Nicolas awakened, drifting, taking one shallow breath every few minutes, allowing his mind and spirit to find peace in the quiet of Carpathian twilight-not fully gone, but not far from the surface. Lara had hurt him and he couldn't remember the last time anyone had ever done such a thing: He hadn't known anyone could. He knew he should wake fully and face her, but he needed to sort out his unfamiliar emotions. She had certainly pricked his pride when she'd accused him of being addicted to the rush of his power. Honor had sustained him these long centuries, not addiction, and it was the only thing he had to offer her. She had stripped him of even that with her careless accusation.

He had wanted to throttle her, yet at the same time, the need to kiss her, to dominate her body with his, had risen up like a terrible demon possessing his mind. She should have been grateful for his honor. Without it, she would have found herself naked and writhing under him. She owed him deference and respect. She was so young and inexperienced in all things. She should rely on his wisdom and trust him. He had done nothing but try to protect her, but she persisted in acting like so many of the women, demanding foolish and dangerous things without thinking them through.

His chest felt heavy, a strange sensation when he should have been weightless. His wrist burned and ached. Fear skittered up his spine and found its way into his consciousness. His spirit reacted, reaching for his body, abruptly taking possession. Nicolas came aware instantly.

He heard the sound of ragged, thready breathing and smelled-death. He shifted his body, and felt Lara, ice cold, lying beside him. Turning his head, he saw her face, eyes wide and unseeing, staring at the ceiling. A wave of his hand dissolved the shackles, allowing him to roll over and come up on his knees beside her, reaching for her limp arm, his heart nearly stopping, then beginning to slam hard and fast in his chest. Her wrist was torn open, obviously a deliberate attempt to end her life. Her own teeth had ripped the ragged tears, opening her vein so that blood ran down the side of the bed.

Veriak ot en Karpatiiak. Kod alte han. By the blood of the prince. Darkness curse it. What has she done?

Swearing, he brought her wrist to his mouth, using his tongue and healing saliva to seal the vein and sweep close the wound.

Lara! Come to me. It was a demand. And he was furious that she would do such a thing.

What was she thinking? Didn't she know what would happen? Lara! Desperation was setting in. She'd been like a wolf caught in a trap, willing to chew off her foot, or end her life rather than be captured and held prisoner. He had lain beside her, angry, righteous, and all the time, she had been quietly ending her life.

He gathered her into his arms, rocking her gently as he shed his physical body to enter hers. She needed blood. Fast. Her body labored, her mind had already shut itself down to keep from brain damage. Had she been human and mage without Carpathian, she would already be dead.

He found her spirit, flinching from his light-from him. Come to me, o jela sielamak. Light of my soul, stay with me.

His arrogance had driven her to this. He hadn't seen her as a person, so much as his. His savior, his possession, his to do his bidding. He'd been so sure of himself, so certain of his rightness. Nicolas De La Cruz, informing his brothers how they should handle their lifemates, so certain he knew best for everyone around him, after all, he was faster and smarter and had lived so much longer. And yet his own lifemate, the woman he had sworn to protect, to make happy, he had driven to this-taking her own life rather than submit to him.

He crooned to her, wooed her, soothed her as he gathered her spirit to him to prevent her from going so far he might not be able to bring her back. Keeping her secure, he returned to his own body.

He had needed her to know who was in charge. He needed to establish his dominancy like some conquering warrior, to prove to her that when he said something she should listen because he knew best. This was his failing. He hadn't taken the time to know her, to understand her, or even to give her credit for keeping her word. She had chosen life for them and she placed herself in his hands for all time, trusting him. And he'd destroyed that trust-and them.

He hadn't seen her as someone separate from him, with her own thoughts and feelings. His family had been cursed "too"

everything. Too smart. Too fast. Too assured. Too dark. There in the darkness of the cave, deep beneath the ground, holding the ice-cold body of his lifemate, he admitted the truth to himself.

He lengthened his nail and drew it across his chest, opening his vein. He couldn't even promise her he wouldn't repeat his mistakes, the darkness in him may have gathered strength over the years, but it had been there from the beginning. Even with his lifemate close, it was a living, breathing entity inside of him and it demanded those around him go his way. I will fight my nature as much as possible, Lara. He murmured to her softly as he pressed her mouth to the wound over his heart. I will be all things to you. Come back to me and let me show you I can be what you need. He had only considered how much she must change to be what he needed. How had he been such a fool?

She didn't respond. Not to the scent of his blood, and not to his coaxing words. In the end he had to resort to a command, wincing as he did so. How could she ever resolve living with one such as him? How could he protect her from his own nature?

Even now, when she so clearly chose death over living with him, he imposed his will on her.

Juosz es olen ainaak sielamet jutta. Drink and become one with me. Live with me. I will never be perfect, but I will do all within my power to make you happy. Drink and live. It was a command-a compulsion-and he put every bit of power he could summon into the directive because he was not able to let her go. He would choose life for her and spend the rest of the time they had trying to convince her he had done the right thing.

Her mouth moved against his bare chest. He was unprepared for the strange reaction of his body. The heat exploding into fire.

The fullness in his groin. The burn of need in his veins. He threw back his head and absorbed the feeling, took it deep and held on to it. The call of one lifemate to another. His soul had called to hers and hers had answered. Their minds sought one another, needing the constant closeness between them. Now his body was calling, determined to awaken hers. Where was his heart? Did he even have one? Was that part of the curse of the De La Cruz family? Maybe they really didn't have hearts-or maybe it was just him. Although right now, right at this moment, he felt like his was breaking. He ached for both of them.

His life force flooded her starving body, organs and tissue and brain greedily reaching instinctively for nourishment-for life. He made certain he not only gave her enough to replace what she had lost, but enough for a formal blood exchange. Their first true exchange and it was much needed. He had to find a degree of control to combat the darkness that had grown so strong over the last few centuries. His one fear had been that of turning vampire, becoming the most loathsome of evil creatures, yet now, with his lifemate to provide the light to his darkness, he should have been free of worry. Without the formal blood exchange, even with the claiming ritual, until they met as one in body as well as soul and mind, he was a danger to everyone-but mostly he was dangerous to her.

Nicolas cradled Lara in his arms, close to his chest, still rocking. The sun had gone down some time ago and the night was on them. He had no idea when she had managed to harm herself or how long she had lain awake contemplating harming herself, but her spirit was a long way from her body.

"O jela sielamak. Light of my soul, come back to me." She struggled and at first he thought it was to stay away from him, but then he realized her spirit was trapped elsewhere. She had drifted away on a sea of blood and wherever her spirit had roamed, past or present, or the shadow world, she was trapped in a web she couldn't get out of. Without hesitation, he merged his mind fully with hers, following the path to find her and guide her back to the land of the living.

Chapter 8.

Nicolas shivered. It was cold. For the first time in his life, when he tried to regulate his body temperature, it was impossible. The cold was mind-numbing. And there was so much fear, wave after wave swamping him. Fear was not an emotion he was intimate with and the waves were overwhelming, keeping him off balance, his stomach churning and his heart beating too loudly. He didn't question that he shouldn't have a heart-or hear one, not while he was without his body, he simply accepted whatever happened and continued after her.

He found himself in a child's body. She was so tiny, her heart wild. Terror-her terror-settled into his mind, filling every corner, every compartment until he breathed it in and out, until it was living inside his very soul. He stared through horrified eyes at a man chained to the wall of ice. A young woman sat beside him weeping as she tried to wipe the beads of sweat from his face.

Previous Top NextRazvan/father.

Nicolas breathed through the terror and tried to focus on what was happening. Razvan was nearly drained of blood, weak, barely able to talk coherently, his voice low and trembling so that the woman leaned close and pressed her ear to his lips in order to hear him.