Dark Tarot (Dark Carpathians)

She followed his every move, horrified at his love of the battle, at his need to destroy the undead in the brutal way he had. He hadn’t felt the emotions, but she had. He had feared that would happen if she ever saw him in battle. Sandu could try to assume a mantle of civility. He could even hide his predatory nature under the guise of feigned humor quite a bit of the time, but there was no disguising what he was when he went into battle.

Adalasia had been taught from the time she was a child to recognize a demon from the underworld by the fierce glow of their red eyes. By the casual way they killed. She would see that he killed without feeling, at least on the surface. Beneath it . . . he knew where he couldn’t see, she could. There she would feel the joy of battle, the need of his to destroy, uncaring what happened to him in the process. He was her lifemate. He belonged to her. That was an ultimate sin, and he was committing another by manipulating her into giving him her blood.

Sandu wanted to feel remorse for what he was about to do, but his every instinct drove him. Compelled him. He was ancient, and she was his to protect in the way of their people. They had enemies. Too many. His enemies. Hers. They had to be prepared for the worst possible scenario. Both had to be prepared.

She stood in the hallway alone, trying to look brave when he materialized in front of her. He hadn’t taken the time to clean up from the battlefield, wanting to look his worst, knowing she wasn’t certain about him and their relationship, but the ties between them would compel her to take care of him.

Adalasia’s blue eyes darkened to pure cobalt as they moved over him, taking in the blood dripping from his neck and shoulder, his chest, and lastly, his thighs and legs. He heard her anguished gasp, and then one small, trembling hand crept to her throat defensively. “Sandu.” She whispered his name.

“I came to you as quickly as possible,” he said. “Lucian told me they prepared a suite for us to use. It’s on this floor at the back of the house.”

He held out his hand. She hesitated but then slipped her hand in his. He could feel her trembling as he walked her down the wide hallway to the heavy oak door. She kept casting anxious glances to the blood on his neck and legs.

“Sandu? I didn’t do as you asked me. I stayed in your mind when you went into battle.” She made the confession in a low voice. “I’m sorry. I just felt it was very necessary to learn how to fight one of these horrible creatures. I was hoping I already had some of the skills. Jaxon did tell me the heart had to be incinerated. Sticking a hand into their chest and dragging their heart out looked extremely difficult.” Her entire body shuddered.

She still wasn’t looking at him, nor did she approach the more intimate mind connection. He brought her hand to his mouth, inhaling her scent. Taking her into his lungs. After the foul stench of the undead, the fragrance of his woman was intoxicating.

“It was Abascus’s bad luck that Lucian had so many of the brethren visiting him this evening. Jaxon had already dulled his senses. He wasn’t thinking clearly, staying when just the presence of the wolves should have been a warning to him. The wolves didn’t attack Jaxon on her way home. The safeguards on the house should have warned him. When he couldn’t call out to Jaxon, her power was more than it should have been against a master vampire, even for a Carpathian woman, but he paid no heed. That is the ego of a vampire.” He gave her that insight.

He reached around her and opened the door in human fashion rather than simply waving his hand and willing it open. Adalasia moved ahead of him into the room and then turned to face him. He stepped inside and closed the door, taking the opportunity to lean against the thick oak while her gaze slid anxiously over him. He heard her breath catch in her throat.

“Where else are you hurt?”

“It is of no consequence.” He waved her concern away. “When one battles a master vampire, you know you are going to get injuries. I wanted to ensure you were safe before I sought blood and healed myself.”

Her long lashes fluttered. “I wish you would explain things better to me, Sandu.” Once more, her hand crept up protectively to her throat. “I want to see where else you’re injured. And those injuries are not minor, are they?”

“Lifemates cannot lie to each other, Adalasia. Do not ask me questions you may not want the answers to.” He didn’t move from where he was draped against the door. Blood continued to run down his neck and legs. Now it was soaking through his shirt. He was going to have to do something about the mess fairly soon.