Nicolas, inside the large dragon, found himself smiling at the demand in her voice in spite of himself. He found he liked the little bite in her voice. He backed away from the ledge, all the while keeping his mind firmly in hers. Tension vibrated through his body as she stepped off the edge, great wings flapping frantically.

Let your dragon take over. He would give her a couple of seconds. If she couldn't let go enough to allow the dragon to take over completely, he would have to seize her mind and take complete control.

Don't you dare. I'll get the hang of it. Stop distracting me.

He felt the seeds of panic as the little female spiraled out of control. Every instinct screamed at him to take over her mind and right her, but he fought it back, holding on by a thread to give her a little more time as his dragon dove headfirst after its mate.

Deep inside the body of his dragon, Nicolas groaned as he realized Lara had a problem with giving up control. He should have anticipated and prepared for it. She had seconds before the illusion of giving control to her dragon became a reality as Nicolas would have no choice but to take over. The ground rose up to meet her as his male dragon went streaking after her. Nicolas fought hard to give her those few extra precious seconds.

And just that suddenly, Lara took a deep breath and let go of herself, turning control over to the dragon. Instantly the wings of the female dragon stopped the wild flailing and folded close to the body, stopping the spin. Then the wings came out, and with one powerful, coordinated stroke, the creature rose gracefully into the air.

Childlike laughter rang in Nicolas's ears. A vise seemed to squeeze his heart at the sound of that young, carefree voice. She had never had a childhood, never been able to play or laugh, to feel the freedom of the wind in her face, to look down at the tops of the trees and the glistening meadows, to somersault in the night sky and just have fun. Now, sheer exhilaration sent her singing through the sky. The wind flew in her face, cool and brisk and he felt the joy in her.

Nicolas! This is... amazing.

Yes, it is. She was amazing. She did something to him inside he hadn't expected, turning him inside out with her simple happiness of the moment. In a way, he relived his own first experience of flying, but somehow, he enjoyed hers even more. She had never tasted true freedom. This was her first real exposure to the beauty of their world and he wanted her to enjoy every moment of it, to see the night in the way he did.

Nicolas was astonished to find he was beginning to need her for more than to calm his demons, or spread light through the darkness-he needed to hear her laughter, to see the childlike delight in her sparkling dragon's eyes. He found himself admiring her courage. She had risen from the ashes of cruelty and horror yet maintained a sweetness and hope that he had never imagined could be possible under the circumstances.

Flying through the night sky with her, it suddenly occurred to him that she might be a better person than he, that where duty and honor were ingrained in him, he thought himself superior to those he protected, but Lara truly did care. She cared about her two friends, and her aunts, and was beginning to worry about the father she had believed for years was a monster. He had protection to offer her, but what else?

He had thought finding his lifemate made him entitled to her, that she would worship the ground he walked on-that she should worship him, yet he hadn't considered that he might lose his heart to her. The possibility hadn't entered his mind, not even for a moment. She was supposed to lose her heart, but he would remain the same. Now, everything was changing inside of him and he felt off balance-and vulnerable. He didn't want to lose her and not because she was the other half of his soul and could save him. He simply didn't want to lose her and the stirrings of that emotion terrified him.

Nicolas! Come on. Let's race to that huge gray cloud.

He let her get a head start, holding his dragon back to a more leisurely pace until she got several yards away. Then she built up a great deal of speed. The female dragon shimmered with metallic reds and gold, her scales gleaming whenever the moon managed to sneak out from behind a cloud and illuminate her as she sped across the sky. She gave off a halo of light, glowing, an age old call, female dragon to her male.

Nicolas was so startled he nearly lost his image of the dragon. Lara's female was calling to her mate, and in her innocence, with her spirit still dwelling on their kiss, Lara was inadvertently heightening the female's drive for her mate. Lara was unleashing a storm of hunger so intense Nicolas could feel his own instinctive reaction-his own demon rising.

No! He tried to hold back the male, but his dragon roared, tearing himself free of Nicolas's control, diving after his mate, powerful wings creating a windstorm as he flew after her. Lara's laughter washed over and into him, her mind rubbing intimately up against his in her excitement. She was innocent in her enticement, entirely unaware she was arousing the heat in the male- and in him.

The ground below seemed far away as the dragons rose sharply into the sky, dancing as the star dragons had done, performing an aerial ballet. Swift and lithe in the air, Lara soared free, growing more confident as she felt the dragon's strength. The creatures held power and magic and she identified strongly. She tried a series of rolls and then glided through the air before somersaulting in a graceful acrobatic display.

Nicolas felt his dragon gathering himself-waiting-watching as he chose the moment he needed to capture her in midair. There was no stopping the male, unless he took both of them out of the sky. He was almost as enraptured as his dragon, counting the beats of the wings, as the male increased his speed, circling to come in at an angle just below her. Hot blood surged through his veins, filled his groin, lust punching hard and mean. The female spread her wings wide and the male made his move, sending his large body into a roll, coming upside down below her, belly to belly, wings wrapping her in a tight embrace, his talons locking with hers as he took possession of her body, burying himself deep.

Nicolas felt Lara's shocked excitement as the two dragons spiraled toward earth, heads entwined, wings tight around each other, talons locked, the male plunging over and over into the female. Lara and Nicolas were separate from the dragons, only their spirits held in the physical bodies, yet both felt every heated stroke, the love of two mates expressed in dizzying passion in the air. Nicolas wanted Lara with that same intensity his dragon felt for his mate. The dragon passion only increased his need. He stroked Lara's mind, a soft intimate brush, showing her without words how he felt.

Without warning, a bolt of fire speared through the air, impaling the coupling dragons, entering straight through the male dragon's back, passing through his belly to the female and out her back. The male trumpeted, the female screamed, blood sprayed into the air, droplets scattering across the cloud, mingling with the snow falling to the ground.

The male tried to hold the female, talons digging deep even as he lost strength with the great flow of blood. The ground was coming at them fast.

Nicolas seized Lara's spirit, ripping her from the female dragon, shifting to mist and abandoning the mortally wounded dragons.

We can't leave them. Lara was horrified. And then she coughed. More droplets showered the clouds, falling like rain to dot the white landscape in red.We have no choice. He held her to him with his ruthless determination, blocking out everything but the danger they were in.

They are part real, part illusion, we are all real. We have to get to safety. He was wounded as well. Already in need of blood, he had given to Lara twice, he couldn't afford to lose much more-not and fight the undead.

Thunder cracked, the roar shaking the ground as a lightning bolt simultaneously slammed from ground to sky, narrowly missing them. As it was the shock wave threw them apart, and sent Lara tumbling toward the rocks below.

Nicolas reversed direction, masking her blood, shifting the air to cushion her and bring her down gently, even as he left himself exposed to draw the vampire's fire. It wasn't long in coming. Sensing an advantage, the undead revealed himself, swooping across the sky, streaking as fast as he could to get to the wounded hunter.

Lara landed softly in a snowdrift, holding up her hands to assure herself she was back in her own skin. The moment she moved, she felt pain knifing through her body and looked down to see her stomach coated in blood. She was sprawled naked in the snow, crimson streaks smearing the pristine whiteness around her.

Looking up, she saw Nicolas shifting back to his own body, meeting the vampire in a crashing blow that sent both tumbling out of the sky. Her heart nearly stopped, then began to pound so hard, blood splattered onto the ground. She had to do something.

She pushed herself shakily to her feet and raised her arms overhead. She couldn't stop the vampire, but she could give Nicolas a few precious moments.

Ropes of silk, strong as iron, come forth now to hold and bind, legs of eight, fast to spin-spin your web, holdfast within, weaver of the web hold tight, that we may stay, stand and fight.

Spiders dropped from the sky, raining down on the vampire as he fell. The vampire became entangled in the spider threads, shiny and thick, like the poisonous webs she'd practiced weaving in her cave when she first thought she might stop Xavier with such a thing.

The more the vampire fought the sticky ropes of silk, the faster the spiders spun and wrapped him up, giving Nicolas time to land in a crouch, scoop up precious soil from beneath the snow and press a hand front and back to stay the bleeding.

Use the soil, Lara. You are Carpathian enough for it to work. Mix it with your saliva and press it into your wounds.

She did need to stop the bleeding and weave clothes for her shivering body. She couldn't go into shock in case Nicolas needed her. She fell to her knees and dug through the snow until she uncovered the soil beneath. It took a moment to force herself to mix saliva with the dirt and pack her wounds, but she did it, all the while watching as the vampire hit the ground hard a few hundred yards from her.

Snarling with rage, red eyes glowing, the face was a mask of fury. He turned those soulless pits her way and bared his savagely sharp teeth.

Get out of here, Lara. Go now. Run to the village.

Leave him? How could she do that? She stretched her arms to the sky, needing clothes to cover her so she'd at least feel as if she had armor against the vile evil that tore through the silken spiderweb. Once more she turned to the snow spiders, calling on them to begin spinning their gossamer threads for her warmth this time.

Spin little spinners, weave little weavers, fit me tight. Spin and weave with your crystal light. Fit to me a second skin so that I might feel warmth again.

Hastily she ran across the ground away from the vampire, in the direction of the village. She made it into the tree line and stopped to drag on her clothes.Chapter 11

Lara spun around, turning in circles, trying to find Nicolas and the vampire. One moment they had both been there and now she couldn't see either one of them. Cursing, she ran back out from the trees. The soil may have stopped the worst of the bleeding, but it didn't take away the pain of torn flesh. She could barely breathe with the pain, yet she managed to shove it aside in her anxiety for him.

Nicolas! The moment she called to him she was afraid she had distracted him at the worst possible moment.

Several yards away, just over a rise, she saw snow blast up into the air. She sprinted, or at least tried to, sinking ankle-deep into the powder. She needed snowshoes on her feet, or at the very least, the ability to run across the surface. Weaving a pattern with her graceful hands, Lara leapt as if she were a snow hare.

Strings of sinew, finest bone, bend and shape, form and hone. Weave and place upon these feet, lightest paws of a snow hare be.

Lara felt a tingling, stretching sensation in her feet as she landed back in the snow and hurried across the meadow toward the rising slope. The pain in her back and stomach grew with every step, but she forced her body forward, afraid for Nicolas. He had taken the brunt of the attack. Now she could hear the vampire snarling and growling. The sounds were hideous. Nicolas was totally silent, making her pulse pound and fear clutch at her.

Instinctively, her mind reached out to connect with Nicolas and found-a killer. There was no hint of her charming lifemate, so intent on courting her. There was no mercy, no gentleness, nothing but a killing machine made of sinew and bone, honed by centuries of battles and a mind made for combat.

She skidded to a halt, pressing her palm to her mouth. Did she want to see him like that? Know him like that? The killer was as much a part of him as that smooth, charming man, the one who had kissed her senseless and taken her on the wildest ride of her life, and he was in a fight for his life-both of their lives.

She knew evil when she saw it, and the vampire had the same peculiar odor as Xavier's pet mutations-the parasites. She pushed down the gathering bile caused by just the stench alone, and forced her body forward. She couldn't leave him wounded to fight a battle with such evil when she might find a way to help him.

Lara dropped down on her belly and scooted the rest of the way up the rise to peer over the snowbank. Below she could see sprays of crimson streaked across the sparkling snow, as if someone had thrown red paint in slashing lines in every direction. A lone tree, bent under the weight of the snow, stood as a sentinel watching the age-old battle between vampire and hunter.

Nicolas stood a distance from her, tall and straight, his hair flowing behind him, his eyes glowing with power. In spite of the injuries-now open where the vampire obviously had raked down his chest and belly with talons, tearing away the soil patch- Nicolas moved with fluid grace, a blurring speed she could barely comprehend, as he streaked across the snow to slam his fist deep into the chest of the vampire.

The vampire screamed and clawed at Nicolas's face, but the hunter had already leapt out of reach, using his tremendous speed.

It hadn't been his first attack. Lara could see three deep wounds on the undead. The two combatants circled each other.

"Your woman will be fodder for animals. They'll eat her flesh and drink what I leave of her blood."

Nicolas didn't reply, didn't engage in conversation. His gaze never left the vampire. His breath came slow and easy, although Lara couldn't imagine the agony he must have been in with his severe wounds. There was something about him. She couldn't help but admire the lone warrior, facing an enemy with such confidence, nothing in his mind but absolute victory.

Previous Top NextShe wanted to be like Nicolas. She wanted that confidence in herself, to know she could handle any situation alone if necessary.

She didn't want to be afraid anymore. She could see how Nicolas had gotten the way he was-he had to be confident to the point of arrogance, he had to believe in his own abilities or he would have never survived.

The vampire spat a mouthful of blood, hate twisting his features. Twice his gaze shifted toward the sky and both times Nicolas feinted a movement, bringing attention back to him. The third time, Nicolas moved again with that same blurring speed. The vampire turned his head at the last moment, meeting the attack with a shriek, shapeshifting to avoid the enormous strength that smashed through bone and sinew to reach for the vulnerable, blackened heart.

Nicolas hit the undead as he tried to shift, half-vampire form, half-wolf. The muzzle elongated, razor-sharp teeth driving straight at Nicolas's face. Lara bit back a scream of fear and buried her face in her hands. Her body began to shake so hard her teeth rattled. How could he face that? He hadn't even flinched. She peeked out between her fingers and saw his face, a mask of blood, his arm buried deep into the cartoonish werewolf's chest.

The creature was nearly seven feet tall, and he caught at Nicolas with clawed hands, jerking him back, shrieking as Nicolas refused to let go of the heart. The vampire shook him, slamming a fist into his chest repeatedly in an effort to dislodge those burrowing fingers. The eyes went cunning and she saw the gaze lock on Nicolas's throat. Her heart nearly stopped, but she flung her hands up, weaving a hasty pattern of protection.

Orr of earth, forged by fire, circle cast by need-desire, form this metal into a ring of hard titanium.

The pattern glowed white-hot and then cooled as it formed a protective circle around Nicolas neck just as the werewolf thrust its head straight toward Nicolas's exposed throat. Saliva and blood dripping, the muzzle gaped wide, and then clamped down hard with a frightening crunch just as Nicolas yanked his arm back. A terrible sucking sound made Lara's stomach churn, but she fought back the need to get sick. The werewolf's teeth sank hard and deep, hitting the titanium collar. The vampire roared as its teeth shattered into pieces and the heart was drawn completely from its rotted cavern. He lumbered after Nicolas, who was backpedaling, throwing the blacked organ onto the snow and calling down the lightning at the same time.

Thunder cracked and a white-hot bolt of energy slammed into the heart, incinerating it, and then jumped to the vampire. He glowed, burst into orange-red flames, sending noxious fumes into the air. The vampire burst into ashes, and Nicolas directed the energy bolt to burn everything until it disappeared. Only then did he sag a little, reaching into the energy to bathe away the acid blood from his arms and chest.

He turned toward her, his expression a dark mask, his eyes brooding, hooded, concealing his thoughts as he took a step.

Nicolas staggered and recovered. Lara stood up slowly, her entire body shaking. There was blood everywhere, and he had wounds on his face, chest, abdomen and back. How he could be standing, she didn't know.

He glanced skyward, and leapt the distance between them, crowding her body behind his as he faced the trails of mist forming out of the lightly falling snow. The mist began to shimmer and a tall man with nearly waist-length black hair came striding out of the snow.

"Nicolas?"

The black eyes took in the wounds as well as Lara pushed behind him. The gaze jumped from her red-gold banded hair to her eyes swirling between green and blue.

"I did not recognize the vampire, Vikirnoff," Nicolas said. "He was fairly young. No more than three or four hundred years old.

Why are they turning so young?"

Natalya was quickly making her way to stand by Vikirnoff. She always was near her lifemate, especially if a vampire was in the area. Nicolas didn't want the couple there. It was petty of him and made him feel ashamed and even stupid that he wanted more time alone with Lara. He had always been so self-assured, but now he feared losing her, feared she would leave him-or stay with him because of the lifemate bond, but never find it in her heart to love him.It was pitiful to think that he wanted love from her. He had been self-sufficient all of his life and it made him angry to think he needed her. Yet here he was afraid-afraid-she would ask sanctuary from her kin.

Nicolas turned to Lara and held out his hand. "Let me take a look at your injuries." He pulled her to him and lifted the hem of her sweater.

Lara caught at his wrist and glanced toward the strangers, obviously uncomfortable. "The fire spear cauterized the wounds for the most part. I lost a little blood, but not enough to worry about, especially once I packed it with soil. But you're a mess." She touched his face with gentle fingers.

Fel ku kuuluaak sivam belso. Beloved, allow me to see. I must heal you before I can see to my own injuries.

Give me a minute. Her fingers sought his, tangled and held on.

Nicolas tried not to be so happy about her clinging to him. He brushed his lips against her forehead before performing the introductions aloud. "Lara, this is Vikirnoff and his lifemate, Natalya. She is your blood-kin."

It set his teeth on edge that he was so petty that he rejoiced she was distressed in the company of her father's sister, but he couldn't help the rush of satisfaction. Nor could he help the need to heal her wounds without a moment's delay. It hurt to see her injured. He swung around to face her, his palm sliding beneath her sweater to press his hand over the wound. At once heat leapt from him to her. Startled, she looked up at him with her enormous green eyes and he felt dizzy-drowning.

It was a strange feeling to be so off balance and he didn't like it much.

Nicolas slid his hand away as fast as he'd touched her, stepping to her side so that he could draw her beneath his shoulder, one hand sliding around to her back where his fingers snaked beneath the sweater to lay over the wound.

Natalya stared at her twin's daughter, her eyes filling with tears. "You look like him-like me-us." She leaned back against Vikirnoff for comfort. "I'm Natalya, Razvan's twin sister."

Lara swallowed the ball of fear blocking her throat, locking her body so she didn't stumble back and away as she wanted to do.

She reached behind her until she found Nicolas's wrist to steady herself. "I don't look anything at all like him," she denied. Aware she sounded like a child-even her voice was higher pitched-she took a steadying breath and tried again. "He had dark hair streaked with gray. Mostly he's gray. And his face is etched deep with lines, not at all smooth. He's thin, and white."

Carpathian men do not go gray unless they are tortured beyond endurance. It takes. . . much... to produce gray hair, thinness and deep lines.

You have deep lines.

I have been in countless battles and made many kills. More and more I believe your father has been fighting Xavier to save not only his family, but perhaps all Carpathians.

We are not Carpathian.

Dragonseeker blood is strong. You are Carpathian.

A single sound of distress escaped before Natalya could stop it. She touched her tongue to her lips and made a visible effort to recover from the news of her brother. "We need to help your lifemate. He needs his wounds healed and blood fast. Perhaps you would care to accompany us back to our home?"

Lara's fingernails dug into his palm. Nicolas brought her knuckles to his mouth and nibbled on her skin to distract her. "We were on our way to visit with you when we were attacked. Thank you for the invitation." Yes or no?Her eyes met his, her nod nearly imperceptible.

"Thank you, we will come."

Vikirnoff casually brought his hand to his mouth and tore open his wrist, extending his arm toward Nicolas. Several bright drops of blood splattered onto the ground. Lara gasped as the sight hit her like a blow. She closed her eyes, unable to watch as Nicolas took the proffered wrist.

Nicolas hesitated. "Natalya can take you up to the house," he offered.

Lara kept her eyes closed, trying not to draw the scent of blood into her lungs. Her stomach lurched, but she shook her head.

"I'll wait for you." Just get it over with.

Nicolas politely closed the ragged tear on Vikirnoff's wrist. "Thank you, but I can wait until we are out of the open."

Vikirnoff opened his mouth to protest. His gaze brushed Lara's ashen face and he shrugged. "We had better hurry then."

Natalya glanced at Lara sharply, then at Nicolas's ravaged body. Her lips tightened but she didn't voice a protest. Nevertheless, Lara knew she wanted to and that one, small glance shamed her. Nicolas had fought to save their lives, and had done so without flinching from the task. His body bore many deep wounds, but he only had considered taking care of her injuries, slight in comparison to his, yet she couldn't stand the sight of him taking the blood necessary to restore his strength and take the pain from his wounds.

It is no one's business but ours why we both choose our path. Nicolas flicked a warning glance at Natalya that had Vikirnoff bristling.

Natalya put a restraining hand on his wrist and shimmered, shifting into mist, before taking to the air. Vikirnoff followed her.

"I'm sorry." Lara blinked back tears burning in her eyes. "I feel so ashamed."

"There is no need for that. You may have saved my life with your quick thinking." Nicolas touched his neck where the collar had stopped the vampire's teeth from ripping him open. The bite wouldn't really have killed him, and he had been prepared for the shock and pain of it, bracing himself to give himself the time to rip the heart from the chest, but she certainly had cut short the battle, giving him those precious few seconds longer. "That was quick thinking and ingenious on your part."