She knew he expected an answer. Her gaze shifted to him. He looked as if his ferocious temper might erupt at any moment. She even felt it, that fury, right in her mind, beating at her.
I understand. She didn't really. Gary would never harm her.
He is not the Gary you knew.
Trixie had his song, those notes, not silver, not gold. Fierce. Wild. Fearless. Powerful. It was impossible not to feel his song, not to be shaken by it. Trixie surrounded Gabrielle with the notes until she had absorbed them and her palms were filled with him. Her skin tingled. Hurt. Burned. Even her bracelet burned with fire. She gasped and nearly stopped, but she wouldn't let him down. None of the other ancients' songs had given her pain. She knew it was the pain of the ancients that had been poured into Gary.
She breathed through it and moved her hands over the map, trying to let go of herself, of her need to do this, to help him. She couldn't be there, only the strange talent she had. Please. Please. Please. She forced herself to quit chanting the prayer in her mind. This had to be right. Real. And if it didn't work, if she didn't find anything, she had to accept that. It would be a terrible blow, but she would have no choice.
She listened for Aleksei's breathing. Strong. Steady. Her rock. He was there with her, his lungs moving, his heart beating. Her left palm jerked toward her left. Subtle, so subtle she was afraid she'd done it. But no, there it was again. Very subtle. She opened her eyes and looked down, carefully drawing a circle with her right hand, the strongest point in the middle of that circle. France. Somewhere in France, Gary had a lifemate. He just had to hang on until he could find her.
She smiled triumphantly. She'd given him something. Hope. A chance. It was done. The best she could do for him.
"I will send the addresses to you of any psychic women Josef finds in the database, Gary," Andre said, "but remember, she may not be in there, so you have to hunt within that circle, and it covers a lot of territory."
Aleksei stepped close to Gary and extended his wrist. Fane glided in between the two men, extending his own wrist. "Let me. For Trixie. For what you did for my lifemate, I offer freely. Take what you need."
Fane glanced in warning at Aleksei, clearly telling him to back off. Fane didn't trust that Gary still wasn't so close to turning that he could keep from draining Aleksei dry, and that made the sorrow pressing down on Gabrielle even worse. She clutched at the back of Aleksei's shirt, connecting them physically. She wasn't certain if she was holding him back, afraid as well, or just that she had to touch him to get through this. To watch Gary leave. Alone.
"Your woman more than repaid me," Gary said.
"Take it," Fane said. "You have a long road ahead of you."
Gary took the offered wrist and drank. When he was finished he stepped back, silently telling them he'd had as much as he could take. He would heal his own wounds. He was a Daratrazanoff.
He leaned toward Gabrielle. "Be well, Gabby," he said softly, and was gone.
One moment he was there, the next he had completely disappeared. The tension went out of the three hunters. Gabrielle hadn't even realized they'd been tense.
"We need to get to ground," Fane said. "I'll weave the safeguards and set the mist. The next rising, we head for the States. Aleksei, you and Gabrielle will join us?"
Gabrielle let out her breath, slumping a little, exhausted. It was business as usual for the Carpathian males. They considered vampires and human hunters, lethal wounds and dangerous ancients an every-evening occurrence.
At least I won't be bored. It was a poor attempt at humor but it was all she had.
I will make certain of that, my little cat.
Aleksei wrapped his arm tightly around Gabrielle, pulling her into the shelter of his body. "We will go to the prince and also talk to Jacques's lifemate, Shea, to ensure she will get whatever samples Gabrielle needs to continue her work. Then we will follow and acquire a house near yours as well as a laboratory."
Fane nodded and reached out his hand to Trixie. She didn't hesitate but immediately put her hand in his. As they turned away to get to work strengthening the safeguards, Gabrielle heard Trixie.
"Seriously, Fane. We need a real vampire-hunting kit. That silly gun was utterly useless."
"Lady, if I had any sense at all, I would turn you over my knee for even trying such a thing. You put yourself in danger." Fane brought her hand to his mouth. "Still, I was very proud of you."
Aleksei walked Gabrielle into the building that had been his refuge for over a hundred years. Without preamble he waved his hand and the ground opened. Deep. Cool. The soil rich with minerals. Gabrielle could see them sparkling. The cool soil called to her.
"Take your clothes off, little cat," Aleksei ordered. His hands moved up the sides of her breasts, sending an ache through her nipples.
She waved her hand and removed her clothing.
"Float down. Spread your legs for me. I gave you plenty of room."
She opened her mouth to protest, but his eyes glittered, and in any case, her body was already betraying her. She did exactly as he said, feeling her body growing hot and slick. Welcoming him.
He came down over her, completely blanketing her. Pinning her beneath him. The ground was soft and felt amazing against her bare skin. His hard body felt even better on top of her. He took his time, using his mouth and tongue and teeth on her breasts, his finger moving in her, bringing her to the brink over and over. Driving out every sane thought. Taking away the nightmare of the last couple of hours. Giving her something beautiful in return. And then he was inside of her. Hard. Rough. So Aleksei. So perfect.
She screamed out her orgasm, a tremendous tidal wave that swept him up and carried them both into another realm. She lay still, holding him, stroking caresses in his hair, his face buried in her neck.
"I love you, Aleksei." And she did. She was so completely filled with love for him she could barely think straight.
Aleksei kissed her, still buried to the root. Long after he sent her to sleep, he stayed inside of her, the place he loved to be most. He drank in her scent. Kept the taste of her on his tongue. She loved him. A miracle. His. He knew he would spend his life working to make her happy. He also knew she would bend over backward to give him everything he wanted.
He brushed kisses against her throat. "I love you, too, kessake," he whispered, and gave the command for the soil to close around and over them. Still buried deep, his body in hers, he laid his head in the sweet hollow between her shoulder and neck and allowed his heart and lungs to cease working until the next rising. He would wake inside her, right where he wanted to be.