Dark Promises (Dark 25)

"The thing is, at first your arrogant bossiness made me crazy . . ."

"Arrogant bossiness?" There was humor in his voice.

"You know you're arrogant, Aleksei, and you're definitely bossy."

The smile faded from his face. "I want you to know what you are getting into, Gabrielle. I am not the kind of man to carry on idle conversation with others. I have never associated with humans and I do not have tolerance for people and the way they think they are entitled."

She studied his face. He was very serious, but he wasn't telling her anything she didn't already know. "What are you trying to tell me, Aleksei?"

"I do not like that you think you are not a worthy lifemate for me. I will never put up with your mother, or anyone else, for that matter, intimidating you by throwing tantrums. Your father and your brother should have protected you. They did not. I will. If this woman, who I know you love, picks up an object and throws it at you or one of our children, I will take care of the problem once and for all. Do you understand? I do not want you to start our relationship thinking you got yourself someone nice."

She touched his mouth with two fingers. "I would never describe you as nice, Aleksei. You can be sweet, though. I realized you taking charge made me feel safe for the first time in my life. I love my father and my brother. I do. I adore my sister. But in my home, growing up, I never felt safe. I never felt as if any of them would stand up for me against my mother. I might be wrong, because I never ever challenged her, but I know you would. I know you wouldn't let her throw things and maybe hit one of our children with whatever she throws. I know if I were upset by her behavior, you would definitely stop her. So I know, for you, for that kind of protection, for leaning so heavily on your strength, doing what you asked would never be a burden."

His green eyes blazed down at her. Flared with heat. She felt his cock, deep inside her, jerk, stretch the tight walls of her channel, and it felt delicious. Perfect. So right.

"So you know I am not going to try to make people like me, even your family or friends. I do not care if anyone likes me." His face softened and he bit her chin gently, sending another ripple of fire through her. "With the exception of you. I would much prefer it if you liked me."

Gabrielle couldn't help it, she laughed softly. "I think you're safe, Aleksei. I'm pretty certain I like you."

"That is good." His body began a slow glide in hers. "I was worried."

"You weren't in the least worried. If you thought I didn't like you, you'd just order me to get over it." Her fingers dug into him. "You can't possibly start all over again."

"I think you are wrong, kislany. I am fairly certain I can."

Gabrielle burst out laughing, the sound ringing through the chamber. Her laughter was genuine and she realized she was happy. Really happy. She wasn't in a house with a white picket fence and a swing on the porch, she was in a cave high up in the Carpathian Mountains, and she was happier than she could ever remember.

She circled Aleksei's neck with her arms and pulled his head down to hers, her mouth finding his. He made it easy, and his kisses lit up her world. And she loved that, too. She gave herself up to him. To the fire he created. To the way he made her feel, safe and cherished. In a million years, she would never have believed Aleksei would have been the man to make her feel so happy.

She didn't know how much time passed. She was lost in his body, in the things he did to hers, but she felt it was all too soon before they were dressed and heading out of the cave. She paused at the entrance, looking back, knowing they were returning to the monastery, to that place of four walls and nothing else.

"Gabrielle?"

She turned back. Aleksei stood there, tall and wholly masculine, his long hair unbound, the wind moving through it just as she liked to sift her fingers through it. He held out his hand to her. She looked at it for a long moment. He had big hands, strong. So strong. She took a deep breath and put her hand in his. Aleksei pulled her to his side. Close. She liked how he always did that. He liked contact with her. A lot of contact. She slipped her arm around his waist.

"What is it?"

"I like it here. I don't like the monastery as well." Honesty was the only way to go with Aleksei. She knew if she tried to avoid answering him, he would stand there forever until she either told him or he lost patience and looked in her mind for the answer.

"We will not be there forever. I know your work is important. As soon as possible, we will make a home closer to where you do your research." He brought her hand up to his mouth, his lips skimming her knuckles. "We will have a beautiful home, Gabrielle. Anything you want."

"Will you be gone a lot?" She couldn't keep the trepidation out of her voice.

He frowned. "Gone where? Where do you think I will go?"

"You hunt vampires."

"I do not leave you. If I go somewhere, Gabrielle, you will be going with me." There was a hard authority in his voice, as if he thought she was trying to get rid of him.

She leaned into him, circling his waist with her arm and tipping her head up to look at his face. "I'm glad. I don't want you going anywhere without me."

"You know that Gary will not be working with you." He made that a decree.

"He didn't want Gregori to convert him, even though he was so close to death. He knew. I don't know how he did, but he said he was worth far more to the Carpathians as a human than as a Carpathian. He's a genius. His mind is incredible, Aleksei." For a moment she forgot what Gary meant to Aleksei and that he might not like her being so enthusiastic about him. She clapped a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry." She whispered it. "I wasn't thinking."

He gently pulled her hand from her mouth and held it tightly over his heart. "That is the first time you spoke of him as if he was a colleague you admired and not the man you wanted to spend your life with. After seeing your childhood, and how your life has been since, especially after you were converted, I am grateful you had his friendship. To know you had someone who cared about you makes me happy, Gabrielle, not upset. This man will not be able to feel, but he will remember you, and if he is the man I see in your mind, if that is his character, he will check on you to make certain you are happy. He will stay in contact, even if from a distance."

"Will you be okay with that?" She didn't want Aleksei to be angry with her, or worse, fight with Gary.

"I have you. You gave yourself to me. A precious gift that I know you will never take back. I have you. He does not. And he never will. I know what it is like to love you, Gabrielle. He may not feel it, but he remembers it. That will always be very difficult for him."

She swallowed hard. "You love me?" She couldn't believe that. How could he possibly have fallen in love with her when she'd . . .

Aleksei tightened his hand over Gabrielle's, pressing her palm hard into his chest. "Do not, kislany," he warned. He was not going to have her keep blaming herself for something he did not feel was her fault. "We have put that subject to rest. How could I not fall in love with you?"

She didn't see herself as he did. She was highly intelligent. Gentle. Sweet. Vulnerable. She needed care, and he was a man who needed to care for a woman. He had enough darkness, enough demons, for more than one man. He needed a woman who was all light to bring him back from that edge when it got too close, not one who wanted to fight. He needed her to know he was often at that edge, that his demons didn't stand down and when he reached for her, to lose himself in her, she was welcoming, she reached back, knowing that was more important to him than fighting at his side.

Gabrielle was that woman. She abhorred violence. It made her sick. He was thankful for that. He would teach her to protect herself, because she needed to know how. For her. For their children. And for him. He had to know that when he wasn't right with her--which would be rare--she would be able to defend herself as need arose. Other than that, he wanted his Gabrielle. Vulnerable. Sweet. With enough attitude and a lot of intelligence to keep him very happy. Even more, she was scorching hot in his bed.

/>   Gabrielle buried her face against his side. "I want you to love me, Aleksei. I swear, I will do whatever it takes to make you happy."

He smiled down at her. She didn't have a choice in the matter, because he wasn't going to give her one. He thought it might be prudent to keep silent about that. "Andre and Teagan are headed up to the monastery. We need to meet them there. Fane has gotten the ancients to agree to let Teagan try to heal them enough for them to get out and look for their lifemates. Andre has access to the database of psychic women through a boy called Josef. If you can connect with each of the ancients and try to be a compass with this parlor trick you spoke of, we may be able to give them hope of a future."

"If Teagan fails?"