There was another long silence as Fane tried to process how the world had moved on while he and his brethren had locked themselves away in the monastery. This cannot be. Vampires are vain and would never be able to resist killing one another.
Andre didn't argue. He didn't ever argue. He'd told Fane the truth. Some of the master vampires had grown crafty, and they sought power. Having lesser vampires surrounding them fed their egos and allowed them more power.
This is not good, Andre. We had no idea.
Warn the others. I will do my best to rid the threat to you, but should any get past me, understand what you could be dealing with. The society members also use drugs--drugs that can paralyze us.
Fane remained a presence in his mind. And then Andre felt him reaching for Teagan. Instantly he was there, a shield, preventing Fane from doing more than a cursory examination. He allowed his ancient friend to see her resolve, but refused to let him into her mind any further. Fane seemed to respect the boundaries because he didn't push.
When you have rid us of this threat, bring your lifemate back. I will allow her to try her healing skills on me. If she succeeds, no doubt a few of the others will allow her to try it on them as well.
Andre couldn't ask for anything more than that. He knew that living in complete darkness, one century after another flowing into one another until there was no difference and no way to mark time, took its toll. When you added hunting and killing old friends and even family, the toll got worse until it was one's very soul that paid the ultimate price. When one could no longer even hear the whisper of temptation, it was time to go. One more battle. One more kill. That could easily be the one pushing an ancient over the edge. After living a life of honor, that would be the worst possible fate.
Arwa-arvo olen isanta, ekam--honor keep you, my brother, Andre whispered telepathically in the language of his people. Meaning it. Asking Fane to hold out just a little longer.
Sivad olen wakeva, han ku piwta--may your heart stay strong, hunter, Fane replied back.
Andre took Teagan's hand. "Remember what I've told you. They shot at the owls flying. We cannot take any chances. We will hike down as humans. I will set up a camp off the path, down in the rocks where you climbed the boulder. We will meet them accidently. We are spending our time alone up here after our marriage."
"They can check anything with the Internet, Andre," she cautioned. "We haven't gotten married."
He gave her a look. One that said she was married. She was bound to him in the way of his people. The vows had been said. They were married. More than married. It was impossible to separate them. One could not survive very well without the other.
"Josef filed our papers, Teagan. We are officially married. I once told you I never used surnames that meant anything to me. Not until I met you. You have my name." He looked down at her, his gaze moving over her face. "It matters."
He watched her eyes go soft. Melt into dark chocolate. Her lashes fluttered, and he wanted to kiss her upturned mouth, so he did. She was irresistible. Her mouth was a haven wiping out his past, a dark lonely period that had gone on century after century, just as Fane and the other ancients suffered.
She slipped her arms around his waist, pressing her front to his, her breasts tight against him. She was much shorter and he always found that when her soft breasts brushed against his groin, his cock leapt to life, looking for a warm place to rest.
"It matters," she murmured against his mouth. "Nice to know to the outside world we're married, but my grandmother is not going to be happy. I'm certain she's come here to prevent me from making a mistake. She thinks you're involved in a human trafficking ring or some sheik that will put me in his harem in the desert."
He ran his hand over the back of her head. Teagan always braided her hair when they were outdoors. Rows and rows of cornrows that were tight over her head and drawn back in a thick ponytail that fell to her waist. He objected on principle. He loved her hair and preferred it down. She complied when they were alone inside the cave where they had a resting place, and he was content with that--for the moment.
"We'd better keep going down the mountain, sivamet. We need to know what we are dealing with, and they are a good distance away. I want to travel as humans, just in case. If they can shoot at owls, suspecting them to be more than the natural wildlife in the area, they have someone other than your grandmother assisting them." His voice was grimmer than he wanted it to be.
She gave a delicate shudder, holding his gaze. "Do you think there's a vampire traveling with them?"
"I think it is unusual for them to spot three owls winging out of a mist that is as thick and filled with safeguards as the one surrounding the monastery. Your grandmother can hear musical notes, and maybe detect the monastery, but when we take the form of an owl, we are that creature. The notes would be in perfect harmony. She was not the one pointing out Mikhail, Gregori and Gary as they flew away."
Teagan turned and began moving down the mountain fast. "Is Grandma Trixie in danger, Andre?"
She already knew the answer or she wouldn't have been practically running. He reached out and caught her arm.
"Slow down. We are on our honeymoon and we have to play that part. Your grandmother knows you like to hike and climb. She will think that is what you are doing and she will convince anyone else with her who might be suspicious."
"How much danger?" she demanded.
"She is traveling with at least four members of a society that kills indiscriminately. They are fanatical, and that means there is no reasoning with them. Most likely there is something else at play here. A vampire. A vampire's puppet. Maybe both. If there is a vampire, by now, your grandmother will know she's in trouble. In order to stay alive, she will have to be very, very careful."
"She's highly intelligent, Andre. Grandma Trixie didn't have a formal education but she's brilliant. If there's something not right, she will know immediately."
"Then she is in more trouble than ever." He wasn't going to lie. He couldn't lie to her, not even to remove the anxiety from her mind. "But, csitri, we will make certain she is safe."
6
Gabrielle held her breath. She'd never seen a man quite as scary as Aleksei and she'd been around Carpathians, even ancients, for a long while now. The very air vibrated with his darkness. With his fury. He was definitely at the very edge of his control and that alone nearly had her running from him. His eyes blazed fire. As in flames. She could see them.
She breathed out, emptying her lungs, pretending she was doing meditative breathing, sitting tailor fashion as if he wasn't scaring the total crap out of her. She wished she was like her brother and sister and could find amusement in any situation as they did, but her heart pounded and her mouth went dry. Still. She held herself firm. She wouldn't flee. She would follow him wherever he led. She owed that to him, and she was determined to see this through.
"Put yourself in the ground, woman." Aleksei bit out each word, his green eyes glittering and his mouth set with absolute menace.
She lifted her chin. "I will follow wherever you go. It is my right as your lifemate whether you reject me or not."
He growled. Not low, but a rumbling, scary, mean, threatening growl. Like a tiger might do right before he pounced on you and tore you to shreds. She blinked and dug her fingers into her thighs. His gaze dropped to her hands. Inspected her white knuckles.
"O jela peje terad, emni." He said the words low this time, in his own language, and for some reason, that was worse than the growl.
She lifted her chin, trying hard to keep from trembling. "I don't know what that means. I don't know the Carpathian language."
Something moved in his eyes. Something different. Not gentle. Not softening, but still, she had gotten that much through to him. She didn't know the language. A few words maybe, but those words hadn't sounded very nice.
"It means, 'sun scorch you, woman.'"
No. Definitely not nice. She flinched. "I suppose that's what we're doing here,
isn't it? Sitting out in the open, waiting for the sun to come up?" She tried a faint smile. "At least you know I'll obey that order."
"What is wrong with you? Are you a lunatic? Insane?"
She moistened her lips, and that small action had his gaze dropping to her mouth. She saw his body jerk as if she'd punched him. She probably was a lunatic. Otherwise what would she be doing in the middle of the monastery yard, surrounded by ancients who were there to ensure Aleksei did in fact kill himself? They believed she had betrayed one of them and deserved death. She felt the weight of their eyes, although she couldn't see them.
Her fingers twisted tightly in the fabric of her soft vintage jeans. "I don't think I am. But I'm so confused I could be."
"Put. Yourself. In. The. Ground."
Her heart nearly stopped beating. She'd really, really made him angry. He was terrifyingly angry. She'd seen him like that already and she didn't want to go there again. Her fists tightened around the material of her jeans.
"Not unless you do as well. I told you. Your decision is my decision."
He glared at her. The air thickened. Vibrated with his anger. He was from a different time, she reminded herself. Women didn't talk back to men in his time. They obeyed.
Suddenly he was on his feet. He reached down and caught her arm, yanking her up, yanking her into him. His body was hard. She couldn't find a soft place on him. He was enormously strong and his fingers shackled her just as well as any chain would have.