Darius would be unable to track Desari while they were merged so fully together. The moment they were apart again, he could find her. The trick was to take her far away, set up as many blinds as time would allow, so that Darius would have no choice but to turn back, seeking safety before the dawn broke upon them.
Desari faltered for a moment when she read Julian’s intentions. She had not considered being away from her family during the day, when she would be completely vulnerable. At once Julian sent her waves of warmth and reassurance, the implacable resolve of the Carpathian male to protect his mate above all else. While she was with him, nothing would happen to her; he would never allow it.
And what of you? Am I safe from you?
She asked it softly, well aware of the fierce needs of his body, her body. The terrible, insatiable hunger he had for her alone. No one else would ever be able to fulfill the demands his body was making on him. No one else could ever assuage the fire burning deep within him. The knowledge only served to weaken her resistance to him. His need was a terrible thing.
Always, Desari. I would protect you with my life. You feel it, I know you do. I can do nothing other than ensure your safety.
Julian felt the disturbance in the air, waves of power echoing through the sky, seeking the prey the hunter was determined to find. In the raptor’s body he smiled. Darius was very dangerous, a true ancient with a will of iron. Merged as she was with Julian, Desari was masked from her brother. Still, Darius was a brilliant adversary, and he was not so arrogant that he discounted his enemy. He knew he faced one his equal, or very nearly so.
The waves of seeking power receded, and the air was quiet and fresh. Then, without warning, Darius struck again. Julian felt the pain slam into his head, into Desari’s head. She made a noise, just a soft cry in her throat, but Julian instantly took the full brunt of the sound wave, blocking it from her.
Hear me, stranger. I know you feel me, you know what Jam. If you hurt her in any way, there will be nowhere on this earth you will be able to hide. I will find you, and you will die—a long and painful death.
The voice came on the wings of the night, broadcast on every possible wavelength so there could be no doubt it was heard and clearly understood.
Julian was astonished at the power the bodyguard had. He seemed as adept as Gregori, every bit as dangerous. Perhaps Darius did not have Gregori’s elegant grace—he seemed more earthy and raw—but he held very real power. Few could accomplish what he was doing, holding a painful note in Julian’s head even though they had never exchanged blood and Darius had no real idea of where he was. And he meant what he said. He was determined and ruthless and without an iota of mercy.
Julian inhaled sharply and brought Desari out of the sky with him to the small snug cabin nestled high in the mountain peaks. As he landed, shape-shifting, he held Desari’s mind merge so that she did not inadvertently give their position away, but he changed the tone of the sound so that it no longer raked at him with such sharp edges.
It took a little doing, to turn the trap back on its master, especially since he was shielding Desari from the battle between the two Carpathians. She didn’t need to know they were posturing at one another. He turned the note around, reshaped it, and sent it slamming back through the night sky. There was a certain satisfaction in knowing that he had scored on the powerful Carpathian. Only then did he release Desari from his mind, allowing her to withdraw completely.
For the very first time Desari found she was really afraid. What had she done? Followed a complete stranger away from the protection of her family, and for what? Sex. Pure and simple. She was so attracted to Julian Savage, she had willingly thrown away her values and rules and placed Darius in an untenable position. He would worry about her. She had trusted Julian because she had never once in all her existence felt so deeply about anyone, yet now she knew he was manipulating her. And he was a master at it. Perhaps he was manipulating all her other emotions as well.
Julian moved away from her, giving her space, his body fluid and powerful. He shoved a hand through his thick mane of golden hair, his eyes drifting over her possessively. “You would have me allow you to feel pain when it is not necessary?” His voice was strictly neutral.
She knew he was making a point. He was not compelling her. She either trusted him or she didn’t. It was that simple.
Julian folded his arms across his broad chest and leaned one hip lazily against a porch column. “I know you felt it.”
“For a moment,” she conceded, knowing he meant the blast of pain that had blossomed so suddenly in his head. It had been gone in an instant.
“And I removed it immediately. It was your brother. A warning.”
“I heard his warning. I have worried him unnecessarily. I intend to tell him I am coming home this night.”
She said it defiantly, more for her own benefit than his. She didn’t want to go. Julian was so enticing, with his hungry molten eyes. The intensity he felt for her was overwhelming, exhilarating.
“Then we will both return. But do you really believe we can get to know one another in the company of your protectors? It will be unnecessarily difficult.” He waved to a chair on the porch. “Sit for a while and talk to me.”
It was a soft purr of menace. He fully intended to go with her if she left, walk casually into the den of those who would seek to destroy him. His voice was so beautiful. Pure and gentle. It held a hint of tenderness, a trace of arrogance, and more than a little masculine amusement.
It felt like a dare. As if she were a small child, a fledging, afraid of her shadow and of being away from her big brother. Desari tilted her chin and glided regally up the stairs to the chair on the porch. She seated herself, her dark eyes remaining on his face.
He grinned at her, suddenly dispelling the dark danger that clung to him like a second skin. For one moment he looked almost boyish. “I am not going to hold you prisoner, Desari. There is no need to look at me as if I were a monster.”
Desari found herself relaxing. A slow, answering smile lit her face. “Is that what I was doing? I am feeling guilty for defying my brother and making him worry. Perhaps I was taking it out on you. It is so much easier to blame someone other than oneself.”
Julian shook his head. “Do not worry for your brother. He knows in his heart I will not harm you. It is more that he must relinquish his control over you.”
“What is a lifemate?” Desari asked, knowing it was important. She had been in his mind, knew he believed her to be his lifemate.
“Every Carpathian male is born a predator, dark and deadly. True, we have strong instincts to protect those we love, but there is a darkness in us that grows stronger with each passing century. Without a lifemate we lose all emotion, even the ability to see colors. It is an empty existence. Every day the beast within grows stronger, and the darkness inches across our souls. You have not observed this in the males of your group?”
Desari tapped a long fingernail against her cheek. “Actually, yes. At least with Darius and Dayan. Barack was always filled with joy until recently. He is quieter now. And there was another, Savon, who turned into someone none of us recognized.”
“If we males do not find our true lifemate, the other half of our souls, the light to our darkness, disappears. We cannot regain our emotions. We are lost.” Julian sighed softly, watching the gathering dismay on her face. “We have two choices. We can walk into the sun and end our barren existence, or we can choose to lose our soul. We can become the undead, vampires preying on the human race for the ultimate rush, the power of the kill. It is the only feeling left to us.”
Desari knew he spoke the truth. Savon had chosen to become vampire. Darius had destroyed many such undead over the centuries. She swallowed hard and looked up at him. “How do people know for certain when they find their lifemate?”