The front was a little round porch with two comfortable rocking chairs that faced the beauty of the forest. The floor of the tiny verandah was that same gray and black stone, as was the curving railing that surrounded it. The columns leading to the small overhead roof were stone as well, all blending into the mountainside, giving the illusion of being part of the boulders.
“It’s like some little fairy house.”
Sandu laughed at her expression. “Now you’re seeing Carpathian skills at hiding their existence right out in the open.”
“It’s like magic. I thought it was another cave. Not that I’m complaining about the last cave we were in. You made it very comfortable and beautiful for me.” She turned toward him and put her hand on his chest, not wanting him to think she didn’t appreciate what he’d done for her. The moment her palm was over his heart, she was aware of the way her heart tuned itself to his. It was such a strange phenomenon.
Touching his chest with her palm right through his clothing—that might have been a mistake—a big mistake. The moment she put her hand on him, the breath left her lungs, and there was no getting air. He felt hot. Scorching. Almost as if he were branding her palm, going through her skin straight to her bones.
She didn’t want to make a fool of herself. She was already swinging back and forth, so confused by their strange relationship. She’d wanted the fairytale, and that wasn’t anything close to the reality of their situation. Now, she was closer to the reality of the man that would be her life partner. Sandu. Man? Carpathian? Beast? Demon? All of those things? She didn’t know, only that he was more real than her fairytale, and she was so desperately attracted to him.
Sandu’s hand came up to frame her cheek. His palm was so large he cupped the entire side of her face. His thumb slid along her cheekbone in a little caress that she felt all the way to her toes. “I am so grateful to the universe that you are my lifemate, Adalasia. You are worth every moment of that seemingly endless wait.”
The sincerity of his tone, that truth she found in his mind, was heart-stopping. She knew when she looked at him, he would see her heart in her eyes, but she didn’t care. They had the intimacy of telepathic communication. It was rather silly to try to hide how she felt about him, nor did she want to.
His arm swept around her waist, and he lifted her like a man would his bride, carrying her across the threshold. He had done the same thing when they entered Andre’s home. When they entered Lucian’s home. She had her arms linked around his neck. Her small satchel had already been brought to the house, at least she was certain it had been.
Sandu didn’t forget details, and the things that mattered to her were in that bag. She wasn’t going to leave them behind. He knew that. That was another trait she loved in Sandu. If something was important to her, he remembered. She hadn’t wanted to list anything good on the pro side when she mistrusted him, but he did take care of the smallest detail when it came to her.
Right now, as he carried her into the little cottage, she did her best to be wholly alert. Since the two blood exchanges with Sandu, her senses were much more acute than before. She felt the subtle shift of power as he crossed the threshold.
“What is that?”
“Safeguards,” Sandu answered. “Every Carpathian weaves them into his homes. If you enter of your own free will, it gives him just that little more edge over you if you’re Carpathian. If you’re human, it isn’t just an edge. He has much more power over you. The safeguards can be woven with all sorts of commands.”
She gripped his shoulder hard as he set her feet on the floor. “Sandu, we didn’t have to come here. I don’t want you to be under Andre’s influence.”
He laughed softly, his eyes alight with humor. “I came here to consult with him because I have no memories of my past, ewal emninumam, and I stayed quiet, giving him the opportunity to speak what came to him. I respect him, just as I do Lucian. That does not mean he is older, has more battle experience or I feel I couldn’t defend us in a fight. Andre would never attack us without provocation. He would have to feel as if his lifemate was threatened and we were the ones trying to kill her.”
The way he was smiling softened the hard lines of his face. She dared to reach up and trace his mouth with the pad of her finger. “I guess I don’t understand Carpathians.”