Dark Promises

  Gabrielle swallowed hard. She nodded. "I'm sorry I couldn't be more specific, but maybe Andre can help narrow it down."

  The ancients exchanged long looks.

  Kessake, they searched the world over several times. You are giving him back hope. You, Teagan and Trixie. Amazing.

  I could be wrong. I have no way of knowing it is for certain. I've just always been able to locate things and people this way.

  You never told anyone else about this ability? The prince? Gregori?

  She shrugged. It seemed more of a parlor trick than actually useful. It never occurred to me there might be a way to find lifemates. I needed Dragomir's song, and only Trixie could give that to me.

  "I have given that location to Josef. He is looking up any psychic women who might be in the database right now. Dragomir, that does not mean she will be one of these women. Not all psychic women went to the institute for testing. You will need to search the entire area," Andre said.

  Dragomir nodded. He stood up, a fluid ripple of muscle, much like a great jungle cat stretching. He bowed toward the three women, the gesture old-world and courtly. "I cannot repay you. Whether what you have given me to aid me in finding my lifemate actually brings her to me or not, I am indebted to you."

  He looked around him at the other ancients who had shared the monastery with him for the last century or more. "Do not hesitate. Arwa-arvo olen isanta, ekamak."

  Honor keep you my brothers, Aleksei interpreted for Gabrielle.

  Andre clasped his forearms in the traditional way of the Carpathian warriors. "I will send you every location of psychic women in that area as they come in. Teagan and I will be following you soon to the United States. Tomas, Mathias and Lojos have gone ahead of us and I promised them I would join them. We will be there soon should you need aid."

  Dragomir looked to Fane and Aleksei. He stepped close to them, reaching toward Fane. Fane caught his forearms in a firm clasp. "Arwa-arvod mane me kodak," Fane said.

  May your honor hold back the dark, Aleksei whispered into Gabrielle's mind.

  That's so beautiful, she whispered back. And it was. These men, so determined to help one another hold on.

  Dragomir turned to Aleksei and clasped his forearms in a strong grip.

  Aleksei returned the grip. "Arwa-arvo olen gaeidnod, ekam. Honor guide you, my brother," he repeated in English for Gabrielle.

  With one more bow toward the three women, Dragomir was gone, leaving the monastery for the first time in over a hundred years. There was a long silence following his departure. A cool breeze slid through the courtyard. Teagan moved first, pulling out a different stone. This one was the color of indigo. She knelt in front of the ancient called Andor. Waited. Slowly, very slowly, almost as if he were a wild animal being pushed into a corner, the man sank to the ground and fixed his eyes on her.

  They worked through most of the night, bringing a little relief to each of the ancients. Shockingly, each of their lifemates seemed to be somewhere in this century. Had Mikhail's father known when he chose the ancients to leave? It was said Vlad had precognition, so it was possible.

  Not one of them had any idea how long Teagan's infusion of color into their relentlessly dark auras would last. For some, like Andor and Ferro, the colors refused to penetrate even all the way through the first layer. Still, through Trixie's ability to see their songs, Gabrielle found a pull for each of them. The women were scattered across several continents, but she was able to point them in a direction.

  The moment the last of the ancients had gone, the three women collapsed, exhausted. Pale. In need of blood. Aleksei gathered Gabrielle into his arms to hold her close to him, his body sheltering hers.

  "Next rising, I will find Denny Jashari and bring a little justice into his life," he told the others.

  "Two of Mazur's pawns were disposed of," Andre reported. "The third disappeared."

  "He will likely move on," Fane said.

  "And the other human hunters?" Aleksei asked.

  "They were headed for the nearest airport," Andre said, as he wrapped his arms around a swaying Teagan.

  Trixie gave a disgusted snort. "Cowards. Fred and Esmeralda Wilson recruited me. Esmeralda pretended to be my friend, but I heard her talking with her husband and the others that they needed to kill me as soon as I led them to all of you. They were already complaining about having to hike in the cold. Jay Benson was with them. He was with me on the plane, and we had coffee many times back in the States. He wanted me dead as well. I'll bet all of them are already on a plane heading back to the States." She sank to the ground and looked surprised that she was there.

  "They will not escape," Fane said softly, reaching for her. "We will be going home as soon as Josef has all of our papers in order. That should be next rising."

  Aleksei nodded. "Gabrielle and I will remove the monastery and ensure there is no evidence of it, and then we will go to the prince and let him know that the three women were able to help the ancients."

  "He will want to send other ancients to them," Andre said. "Clearly what you three did for the ancients was successful, at least in giving them hope, time and a direction."

  "Difficult if Gabrielle is working in her laboratory in the Carpathian Mountains and Trixie and Teagan are in the United States," Aleksei pointed out.

  Andre nodded thoughtfully. "Is it necessary to have your lab here, Gabrielle? Could you work out of the United States?"

  Gabrielle's heart jumped. She rubbed at her wrist, her fingers tracing the flames on the links of her bracelet absently as she considered Andre's inquiry. She hadn't been home in a very long while, but then her mother and father lived in the States. She stayed a distance from them because her mother still had the power to hurt her. She wasn't afraid of her anymore, but she still despised the tantrums, and age hadn't mellowed her mother's fiery nature.

  This is something you would be interested in doing? Living in the United States close to Teagan and Trixie?

  She liked Trixie. The woman wasn't just wise, she truly cared about people. Trixie might think she was as tough as nails, but she had a gentle heart, a gentle soul. If the three of them lived close they could support one another when needed.

  I hadn't thought of living there, Gabrielle admitted, and I know my research is important, so I wouldn't want to do anything that might jeopardize it. Still, I kind of like the idea now that it might be a possibility. What do you think?

  I think I will be happy anywhere that you are, Gabrielle. If we live there, you can have your dream house as long as the soil beneath it is rich in minerals.

  Again her heart jerked hard. He had seen her long-ago dream and cared enough to remember. She didn't need it anymore, but still, she was very happy that it mattered to him. She slipped her hand into his. Reality is far better than any dream, Aleksei. If we get the chance to move to the United States near Trixie and Teagan, I will love that, but I will love it just as much wherever we settle.

  "Gabrielle?" Andre prompted. "Can you take your work out of the Carpathian Mountains? Teagan and Trixie have family in the United States. They cannot leave. We could set up a state-of-the-art laboratory for you. No one can live as long as we have without accumulating wealth. We can get you anything you need."

  Trixie nodded. "It would be nice to have you close, Gabrielle."

  She loved the genuine character Trixie had. Clearly she was a woman who called things the way she saw them. She was still eyeing Aleksei with a distinct wariness.

  "I don't honestly know. All the samples are here that I've been working on. The soil and the . . ." She trailed off. She'd been studying the biological makeup of the women who had suffered multiple miscarriages, looking for a common anomaly that might explain why they couldn't carry and couldn't breastfeed properly with the necessary nutrients. "Babies used to be able to go to ground with their mothers; now, they can't, not the first few months. In a couple of cases, not for several years. Many of the women can't properly feed their babies without supplements.
There is a reason. It could be environmental, like the parasite that was a contributing factor but . . ." She trailed off again, realizing they probably weren't that interested in what she did. They just wanted to know if she could do it anywhere.

  She ducked her head. "I'd be willing to go to the States if Shea agreed to provide me with anything I needed from those living here."

  Aleksei's fingers threaded through her hair. "If you would prefer to live in the United States, Gabrielle, I will have a word with the prince and we will make it work. What you are doing, the work you are doing, is too important to have you uncomfortable or unhappy. We will find a way."

  Gabrielle looked at Trixie and Teagan. They could help other ancients, but only if the three of them were together. Word would get out, as it did, on the common path of the Carpathian people, and the ancients would seek them out, especially if any of the seven ancients found their lifemate.

  "I definitely would prefer to live in the United States near Trixie and Teagan if I can have a laboratory. We could help other ancients and . . ."

  Maybe even Gary.

  The thought was there before she could stop it. She glanced nervously up at Aleksei, meeting the brilliant green of his eyes. She lifted her chin. "I want to help Gary find his lifemate." She said it firmly. Meaning it. Wanting Aleksei to see she meant it.

  Aleksei nodded, his eyes warm and soft with an emotion that sent her heart skittering in her chest. "Of course you would want to help him, kislany, I would expect nothing less of you."

  His gaze continued to move over her face, and that slow drift of green held possession and something more. The more made her heart go from a fast flutter to a slow melt. Love. Pure and simple.

  "You need to feed." The words were intimate. His tone mesmerizing.

  Gabrielle stared up at him, feeling as if she was falling, tumbling straight into those deep green twin pools. So cool. So beautiful and compelling. She didn't notice that Andre had taken Teagan to the far corner of the courtyard, or that Fane was wrapped protectively around Trixie, clearly giving her blood. She had eyes only for Aleksei.

  They were moving, floating across the courtyard until they were against that heavy wall. She felt secure. Safe. Sexy. The way he held her. The way he looked at her. She knew she would get far more than blood. She felt his body, hard and thick, pressed tightly against hers. She also knew he would conceal them, wrap them in a cocoon of silence where no prying eyes could see or hear them.

  She loved that he took her when he wanted her--and that he wanted her so often. He made her feel sexy and important to him.

  Woman, you are sexy. More, there is nothing and no one in this world more important to me than you. I know your body is already welcoming to mine.

  She was. He was absolutely correct. Hunger beat at her. Weakness. It didn't matter. Only that he was close. Hard. Hot. Delicious. She smoothed her hands over his broad shoulders, let her hands drift through his hair indulgently.

  "I love the way you smell, Aleksei," she whispered, and nuzzled his neck. "Like a man. Like the forest and mountains. Fresh and clean and a little wild. You taste like that as well. I crave the way you taste. Sometimes, when I'm just thinking about you, I can taste you in my mouth." She made the confession a little shyly.

  His hands were at her breasts, cupping the soft weight of them in his hands. She hadn't noticed her clothes were gone until that moment and that all she wore was her fiery bracelet. The cool mountain air felt decadent against her hot skin.

  "Put your arms around my neck and hold on, kislany, you are going for a ride. Take my blood now. Take whatever you need. I will have enough time for the hunt and then get back to you, but not enough time to take you again before we rest."

  She shivered, loving his demanding tone. Loving that he knew he wouldn't have enough time to bury himself in her before they had to go to ground if they didn't take the opportunity now, and it mattered to him.

  His hands went to her bottom and he lifted her easily. She wrapped her legs around his hips, and her mouth found his. She loved kissing him. Loved it. She could kiss him forever. She took her time. She could feel the broad, flared crown of his cock press tight against her entrance, but he kissed her as if kissing her mattered as much to him as it did to her.

  Little cat. You are my world.

  She kissed him again. And again. He had somehow become her world and she didn't even know when. Only that he was. Only that she loved pleasing him. Making him happy. Seeing his face light up while they talked.

  You're mine, she whispered back.

  He didn't slam her down over him as she thought he might, but lowered her slowly so she felt every exquisite inch of him filling her with perfect slowness. She gasped, threw her head back and allowed the feeling to engulf her. Pure bliss. Aleksei. He gave her that every time.

  Take my blood, kislany.

  The need in his voice was almost as strong as the hunger driving her. She nuzzled his neck, listening to the ebb and flow of his blood. So hot. So strong and powerful. All hers. His heart was as steady as he was. Always her rock. Always to be counted on. She licked over his pulse. Caught his earlobe between her teeth to feel him shudder. To feel his cock swell, forcing her tight muscles to stretch. That bite of pain only added to the pleasure spreading through her like wildfire.

  Gabrielle.

  He hissed her name and she knew she was giving him the same pleasure as she moved her hips in a slow ride, up and then back down, the friction intense as her body gripped his so tightly.

  She ignored the warning and ran a series of tiny bites from his ear to his shoulder. Nipping. Little stings her tongue soothed. She loved the way his cock swelled and jerked inside of her, pushing at her inner muscles, demanding she take all of him. She lifted up and slid back down, moving in tight little circles, listening to his breath hiss out and loving that, too. She felt the convulsive bite of his fingers in her butt, hard, meaning business, and she sank her teeth deep into his pounding pulse.

  He dug his fingers deeper and roared. His unique taste burst through her mouth, and every nerve ending in her body grew even more aware, more sensitive, his essence acting like an aphrodisiac.

  He took over, surging into her, leaning her back against the wall, bending so she wouldn't lose contact with his neck as he pounded into her. It felt so good. Great. Perfection. Utter bliss. Fire streaked through her from breast to core. She felt the familiar tension coiling tighter and tighter. She fisted his hair in her hands, holding on, loving the way he surrounded her, was in her, in her mouth, in her body.

  She could feel strength pouring into every cell, giving her power and strength. Filling her just as his cock made her feel full beyond bursting. At the same time, his mind poured into hers, filling every empty place, sweeping away the last remnants of loneliness. He had taken her body from the start, owning it. Then he'd claimed her soul and she'd given him that as well. Now, she knew, it was her heart he had. All of her. Every inch of her, inside and out, belonged to Aleksei.

  She licked over his pulse, closing the twin holes she had placed there, and rested her head for a moment on his shoulder, savoring him. All of him. She kissed his throat, his neck, trailed kisses to his ear. Placing her lips close so he could feel the whisper right there, she told him what was in her heart. What was there in her soul and had been almost from the start. What was in her mind and body.

  "I love you, Aleksei. With everything in me. I love you. I belong to you. All of me, belongs to you."

  His head jerked back. His green eyes met hers, a fierce, possessive burn that seemed to go right through her. His body took hers, hard and fast.

  She cried out and then dropped her face to his shoulder, biting down to keep from screaming. I have to let go.

  No. You wait for me.

  It was impossible. She was flying too high. The coiled knot was wound so tightly, every nerve ending burning for release. Aleksei. She sobbed his name.

  You wait. He was implacable.

  He pounded i
nto her, driving deep, driving her up higher than she ever thought she could go, but she hung on--for him--she would do anything for him, her arms tight, her fists in his hair, reaching with him.

  "Now, kessake, my little cat. Give that to me. Come with me."

  She had waited, holding the tidal wave back when she thought she couldn't, when she thought it was impossible, just because he wanted it. Colors burst behind her eyes and radiated through her mind. Her body flew apart, finding another dimension, subspace where she floated, while her body rippled and quaked, milking his, her tight muscles strangling until she felt his bliss as well, until he groaned and his fingers dug so deep she knew she would have his marks on her and she loved that, too. Everything.

  When she could breathe, she lifted her head. "Aleksei?"

  "In a minute, kessake, give me a minute to let your admission sink in. To know it is real and I did not make it up. You gave yourself to me?"

  She rubbed her face in his neck, feeling the silken slide of his hair. There wasn't the slightest feminine thing about the way it felt. More like a warrior of old holding her captive. A willing captive, but she knew she couldn't escape whether she wanted to or not and that was thrilling to her.

  "I did give myself to you," she admitted, knowing he was waiting for her answer. Holding himself still. Her heart beat fast. Thudded.

  "All of you?" he confirmed.

  "That was what you asked for, honey, and that's what I've given to you."

  "You know there is no taking it back once you give that gift." That was a warning, pure and simple.

  She pressed a kiss over his pulse. Rock steady. Hers. "I'm well aware of that."

  "Give me your mouth, right now."

  She smiled against his neck. "You're going to be unbearably bossy, aren't you?"

  "Absolutely. Now give me your mouth. I have to go hunting and I want the taste of you with me while I'm gone."

  She did what he asked, kissing him with everything she had. Hot. Wild. With absolute confidence. She opened her mind completely to him, giving him what he wanted. Letting him see how much she loved his body, his kisses and his cock and what they could do to her. Letting him see much, much more than that. How he made her feel truly safe, in a world she didn't fully understand, for the first time she could ever remember. How much she needed him and believed he would always stand up for her. How his steady pulse soothed her and gave her the confidence to live her life--any kind of life--with him.