“You did, didn’t you?” She whispered it, but she knew he would hear her. If she could hear him in her head, he could hear her whisper.
Yes.
“And you can erase all this from my mind.” It made sense. How else could someone like Lucian remain hidden from the world? “Why did you let me see that hideous thing? I’ll never get that image out of my head.”
You would not want me to erase your knowledge. Not of anything. I know you would not. The temptation is there, naturally, but you would not wish such a thing, and I have too much respect for you to make the decision for you.
She rubbed her aching forehead. He was right. It was a temptation to forget the horrors she had seen. She wanted to scream at him that no one could assimilate such knowledge. But he was right. She would hate for him to make such a decision for her, and she would never choose ignorance. But what did this new knowledge mean to her future? What could it mean?
For no apparent reason, Jaxon started to cry. Once the tears started, she could not control them. Great sobs welled up, shaking her with their intensity. She never cried. Never! Jaxon deliberately went under the water, hoping to wash away the tears. It would be humiliating to have Lucian catch her crying. At once came the knowledge that he had to be aware; he was there in her mind, a shadow monitoring her most private thoughts and memories. She came up so fast, she hit her head on a faucet. Yelping, Jaxon stood up in the enormous tub, water running off her body.
Lucian materialized directly in front of her, his black eyes anxious as he reached for a large bath towel. Jaxon gasped audibly. “My God, you just appeared out of nowhere! You didn’t even come through the door!”
He enveloped her in the towel. She was far too much of a temptation standing there naked, confused, her eyes enormous and water running off her slim body. Pulling her into the shelter of his large frame, he began to dry her. “Doors really are not all that necessary, honey.”
“Evidently locking them wouldn’t do much good,” she pointed out. She tilted her head to study his handsome face. “I’m tired, Lucian. I need to lie down.”
He swept her into his arms. She looked so fragile. One good, strong wind might blow her over. “If you cry anymore, honey, my heart is going to break.” He meant it, too. His heart actually ached for her. There were dark circles under her eyes. Cradling her close to his chest, against the steady beat of his heart, he glided through the house, up the stairs, and back to her bedroom. Very gently he placed her back in bed.
“You will sleep now, Jaxon,” he commanded. His voice made her want to do whatever it was he asked of her. No, commanded of her. That was what it was—a command—and she was so mesmerized by the beauty and purity of his voice, she succumbed to his power.
“Am I right? Is that what you do?” She allowed him to help her into another shirt His fingers once again spread flames everywhere they brushed her skin as he buttoned it for her. Resolutely, he pulled the covers up to her chin.
“Yes, with my voice and my eyes I can easily control others.” He admitted it shamelessly, the same way he did everything else, matter-of-factly, in his soft, gentle tone.
A faint smile lit her large eyes for a moment “You admit it so easily. How many others like you exist out there?”
“Not many anymore. We Carpathians are dying out. Very few of our males can find their lifemates.”
She closed her eyes. “I know I shouldn’t ask. I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help myself. What is a lifemate?” Her long lashes lifted, and laughter danced warily in the depths of her eyes, despite their shimmer of teardrops.
He ruffled her hair, his fingers combing it into some semblance of control. “You are a lifemate, honey. My lifemate. It has taken nearly two thousand years to find you, and I never dared to believe in such a miracle in all that time.”
She held up a hand, palm out. “I knew better. I knew I wouldn’t want to hear this. Nearly two thousand years, you say? That would make you
way
old. You’re right—you’re far too old for me.”
His strong white teeth flashed. They were perfectly straight, his mouth sensuous. Everything about him was perfect. She glared at him. “Couldn’t you at least look wrinkled and dusty, with most of your teeth missing?”
Lucian laughed, the sound so beautiful she could feel the whisper of butterfly wings in her stomach. He was incredibly charismatic. She knew she had fallen under his spell. Were her emotions real, or was he suggesting them to her? She had never had these feelings for anyone. It was frightening how strong the emotions he evoked in her were.
“Neither have I felt such before.” He said it starkly. Honestly. The purity of his voice made it impossible for him to be lying. “I have never wanted another woman this way, Jaxon. For me, there is only you.”
“You can’t have me. I live in a world that doesn’t include love. There’s no room for you. Tyler Drake may not be a vampire, but he’s very dangerous. I will not be responsible for any other deaths. I have enough blood on my hands for an entire army.” She wasn’t going to believe in this vampire nonsense, she decided. That was all there was to it. Otherwise, she would have to be committed. God in heaven, maybe she
wanted
to be committed.
He took her hands in his, turned them this way and that to inspect them carefully. He brought her palms to the warmth of his mouth, then pressed a kiss into the exact center of each hand. “I do not see one drop of blood, honey. You have never been responsible for what Tyler Drake has chosen to do.”
“You aren’t listening to me.” She sounded sad, snuggling more deeply into the pillows. Once again she felt safe, when she knew that couldn’t possibly be true. “I will not take chances with your life.”
Lucian laughed again. Jaxon could hear the genuine amusement in his voice. “You still do not understand me, young one, but you will soon enough.”
Chapter Three
The sounds and smells told Jaxon she was in a hospital. She opened her eyes warily. She was lying in a bed, but she could still feel her gun in her hand. A nurse was hovering nearby.
The woman smiled at Jaxon. “You’re awake. Good. The doctor is planning to release you this evening. He was worried about your going home alone, but your fiancй assured him you would be well taken care of.”
Jaxon’s heart sank. She was hoping she had merely dreamed about vampires and dark, sexy, “Carpathian” strangers, but she was more than certain she had had no fiancй prior to being shot. She stayed very still. She had no idea what to say, how to respond. She didn’t know even know how she had come to be in a hospital. The nurse was bustling around, opening the curtains, and allowing Jaxon to see that the sun was already down.
Jaxon realized she no longer felt safe. She was in an environment where she had little or no control. If Tyler wanted to get to her, it would be easy. He could disguise himself as an orderly and waltz right into her room. And she was alone again. For a few precious moments of her life she had really shared with someone—Lucian--however bizarre that event had been. Now she was alone and once more responsible for the safety of those around her.
You do not listen very well, Jaxon.
There was that soft, soothing
voice. Either that, or I have completely misread your intelligence and need to explain things much more clearly and carefully to you.
She heard a tinge of masculine amusement.
Jaxon looked around her quickly. No one else was in the room with her but the nurse. The nurse appeared not to have noticed any disembodied voice. Now
you’ve got me hearing voices. I’m going to the nearest mental institution and insisting on immediate help .