Dark Tarot (Dark Carpathians)

Adalasia turned her face into him, nuzzling the heavy muscles of his chest, her breath warm. His stomach muscles clenched. His cock grew heavy and full. She murmured something he didn’t catch, but the way her lips drifted over his skin, her tongue a velvet rasp, felt erotic, far too sensual to be ignored. As much as he wanted to be with his sister, it was impossible not to feel the call between lifemates. Her teeth nipped and scraped back and forth. His blood thundered in his heart. Crashed in his ears. Rushed through his veins. Pounded through his cock. Beckoned her. Called to her.

Sivamet, he whispered. Tet vigyázam. Love was overwhelming for her. Swamping him. She gave him so many gifts.

Her teeth sank deep. The pain was exquisite, an erotic bite that quickly turned to pleasure and burned through his body like a brilliant blue flame.

I love you, too, Sandu, more than I can ever tell you.

Even her voice, brushing so intimately in his mind, was deeply sensual. He wrapped his arms around her and allowed himself to enjoy the night. His lifemate. The fact that he could feel the way he did. That he had it all. And now he had his sister back. A part of his family.

Adalasia swept her tongue across the small holes in his skin and then pressed her lips over the spot in a kiss. “She is beautiful, Sandu. And extraordinarily brave. She has fought the undead and guarded the gate for centuries alone. That is . . . magnificent. Unbelievable. I hope she has a lifemate searching for her, one who deserves her. One who will cherish her.”

“I would like to make our home here, Adalasia, so she has freedom to do as she wishes,” he admitted, tucking strands of her hair behind her ear. “I doubt if she will leave her duty until it is finished, but I would want to stay close, only if you agree.”

“I came here knowing that we would most likely be making our home here. I knew the gate was in jeopardy, Sandu. I wasn’t certain Liona lived. I thought I would have to guard the gate by myself. Knowing you found your sister is wonderful. I would love to make our home close to her.”

Sandu framed her face and bent his head to take her mouth. At once, the fire was there, leaping between them the way he knew it would be. He loved her beyond all imagining.

A soft little giggle played through his mind. Ekäm, are you going to stay out there all night, or are you going to bring your lifemate in so I can get to know her?

Sandu lifted his head, sharing that joyous giggle with Adalasia. “I remember that sound. After all this time, I even recognize it.” He gave Adalasia an almost boyish grin and held out his hand to her. They entered the house together.

The sitting room wasn’t very big, and with six adult Carpathian males, all of them quite large, the space seemed much smaller. Still, it was a welcoming room. Peaceful. It was a mixture of old-world and more modern. The furniture was comfortable, and Liona had acquired several quilts Sandu recognized that Francesca, Gabriel’s lifemate, had made. Somehow, his sister had found out about her quilts and sent for them. He touched one of them.

“How did you get this?”

If Francesca had known Liona was alive and where she was, she would have told him.

“I helped a few of the locals over the years. I saw one of the quilts in a house and expressed interest because it clearly held magical properties. A Carpathian had made it. The woman surprised me with one. I was very moved that she cared enough. Over the years, more than once, I’ve been gifted with a quilt from this extraordinary seamstress.”

Adalasia ran her hand lightly over the quilt Sandu had touched. The squares seemed to leap to life, small animals showing themselves in the forest and birds flitting from tree to tree. “Did you ever consider contacting her?”

“No. My duty was to guard the gate. I am a Carpathian woman. My father explained to me that if anyone other than my lifemate or my brother were to discover I was here alone, it could be dangerous. The males would feel it was wrong for me to be without protection and would insist I leave.”

The ancients nodded in agreement. “There are very few women, Liona,” Afanasiv said. “We have little hope for our males. More and more become undead. At this time, we have under forty couples, and not all bear us children. Fortunately, it was discovered that a few human women with psychic talents, such as Adalasia, are lifemates to us.”

Liona gasped. “This cannot be.”

“The high mage turned on our people, plotting against us,” Sandu explained. “He nearly succeeded in wiping our species out.”