Tariq nodded. "I hoped he would wait, fearing she might get caught and then she'd be of no use to him."
"Hoping when lives are at stake is a poor choice," Gary said. "Find a reason to lock her up." He pushed away from the others, closing down, the weight of his ancestors on his back and in his mind. He strode away from them without another word, his movements fluid, his body rippling with muscle beneath the thin material of his clothing.
Dragomir watched him go, sadness settling. Eighteen or twenty years in Carpathian time was nothing, a blink, no more--or it was centuries of endless waiting for a lifemate. Sandu, Andor and Ferro were at that other end. Gary was clearly there. It mattered little that he'd been reborn into their world; the ancients had poured themselves into him and now he carried every single one of their memories. The man was living in hell. Twenty years would be more than a few lifetimes for him waiting for his lifemate to grow up.
"How many men do you have working for you? Human men that you can trust."
"There are twenty in my security team that I trust. I've taken their blood so I can monitor them at will, but more than that, I've looked into their minds and the men I see are honest, loyal and capable. I respect them," Tariq said. "There are a few others but they're relatively new and I'm not certain of them yet."
"How many there?"
"Another seven. I've taken their blood, know they live by their word, but haven't seen them in battle against vampires. The first time human fighters see the undead in action, especially in their true form, it is . . . disconcerting. That's when I know whether they'll be able to handle it. I wipe their minds clean if they can't. These are good men and valuable assets."
Dragomir nodded. He had never considered drawing humans into their fight. Humans had always seemed very vulnerable. Tariq had always had the reputation of being fascinated by them. He spent a great deal of his time with them. He'd studied them, and now, he surrounded himself with them. He fit into their world with ease.
Dragomir wasn't the kind of man to dismiss an idea just because he wasn't comfortable with it. He'd seen the security force in action and they'd helped tremendously. They hadn't flinched in the face of the enemy, and Vadim had brought a strong force with him. The weapons they'd developed were impressive. Matt Bennett had been a huge help in the battle with Vadim.
"The Waltons. I've seen them on the property," Dragomir admitted, "but I avoided them. Who are they? Are they capable of defending this place?"
Tariq smirked a little, his warning to Dragomir of the answer. "Both were in the service. That's where they met. They lived for years together as survivalists. They can handle guns and, in fact, have quite an arsenal in their home now. They've lived on the estate for a few years, before the children. They were gracious enough to say they would help with defense."
Dragomir had to admit, Tariq hadn't just gathered a group of humans and brought them under his protection without thought.
"You didn't have problems convincing them vampires exist?"
"They were already aware. No one believed them."
Dragomir nodded. "I see. Still, you realize, even with training, these people will always be at a disadvantage. Vampires can easily take over their minds."
"Not with shields in place. I got the idea from the De La Cruz family in South America. They have ranches in various countries and human people, people loyal to them, take care of the ranches in their absence. The families know about them and protect them during daylight hours. The family members, throughout generations, began to be born with natural shields. I thought it would be a decent idea to gather my own force."
Dragomir had heard of the families protecting the De La Cruz brothers. He hadn't considered the idea good or bad. Now, he thought this was another reason why Tariq was a leader. His thinking had far-reaching consequences. He'd planned for his human army. He'd bought up land. He'd gathered other like-minded Carpathians and they had begun the task of setting up compounds in other places, much like the stronghold of the prince in the Carpathian Mountains.
"Perhaps I was wrong about your weakness, Tariq," he ventured, still not quite convinced. Yet, he couldn't have kept the vampires from inflicting a terrible blow on the compound without the help of the security force. There were too few Carpathians and too many vampires in the United States. It was a big territory to cover. Matt Bennett, the head of the security force, had delayed Vadim enough for Dragomir to complete his task and return to confront the master vampire. He'd even managed to get a piece of Vadim's heart and that had to have weakened him just a bit.
Tariq inclined his head at Dragomir's observation. "Perhaps," he agreed. "On the other hand, I have found my love of humans is both a strength and a weakness. Thanks to the prince, we do know some human women can be converted. Those of us who did not find their lifemates, century after century, still can have hope. That soul is reborn again and again until we find her or we go into the next life. There are women out there, human and Carpathian, protecting the soul of a hunter."
"We left the monastery because three women came together and gave us hope. They told us that our lifemates were waiting in this century for us. I am not certain I really believed them at the time. I may have needed to believe them, but I was skeptical. Then I heard Emeline's voice, and my world changed from darkness to light. I hope that finding Emeline continues to give the others hope that they might find their lifemates, too. Like me, they don't think they belong anymore. We are ancients, and while we locked ourselves away, the world moved forward without us. Women moved forward as well. We don't understand them."
Tariq sent him a small grin. "No one has ever understood them. They only ask for partnership. They are intelligent and their opinions matter. They are intuitive."
"These are things I know, but partnership? What does that mean?"
"She will want to walk at your side, not behind you."
"I assume you mean that literally rather than figuratively," Dragomir said. He was aware of the others in the brotherhood paying close attention to the conversation.
"Both."
Dragomir shook his head. "That's where you lose me. What is wrong with wanting to protect my woman? My every instinct is to do just that. She carries life in her. She's light to my darkness. She's everything good in the world."
"To us. We know what we lost. We know a world without women and children. That drought has never happened to them. Even the women no longer know their own worth. We know they are more precious than the greatest jewel, but others don't understand and treat them as less than animals. They are possessions, not cherished partners."
"Emeline will not like me treating her as a cherished woman?" He was more confused than ever. "I know no other way. I am incapable of any other way."
"She will like that part. Just not the part where you lock her up when you don't want her talking to Amelia
."
"And Charlotte?"
"She won't like that, either. I will do my best to distract her, but once she realizes what I'm doing, she will voice her opinion rather strongly."
There was a note of amusement in Tariq's voice. Dragomir still didn't understand, and he sensed this was an important subject. "You don't seem to mind your woman getting upset with you." Emeline's tears would kill him.
"There is little I can do about it, Dragomir. She will want to be with Amelia, to try to help her, and I will forbid it knowing Vadim could strike at us through her. I won't risk Charlotte. She won't understand, or she'll pretend she doesn't because going to Amelia and helping her is worth the risk to her. It isn't to me and never will be. Risking Emeline won't be worth it to you. You can't control Emeline's reactions any more than I can control Charlotte's."
Tariq shrugged. "The bottom line with your woman is this: you can try to explain your position in a logical manner, but remember, it's your logic. It's your emotion--fear--that is driving you. Her logic will be different, but no less real. In the end, you will do what every male Carpathian must do--you will protect your woman. She won't like it, but she'll accept it because she has no choice. Your comfort level during that time will not be the best, but it will pass and your woman will be safe."
Dragomir nodded. "I think I understand. What is the use of explaining if she won't listen?"
"Always explain. She deserves an explanation. Your relationship cannot be a dictatorship."
Dragomir sighed, something in his heart twisting hard. "I do not want a dictatorship, but where I lead, my woman goes. I don't know, Tariq, I may have tied her to me far too fast. I was trying to convince her she wasn't Vadim's lifemate. Honestly? I still don't know if she's entirely convinced. But she's tied to me now, and that may be worse than a false belief. If what you say is so, then she will detest being my lifemate."
"You've been her lifemate all along. She seems to have fought for you. She didn't run."