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“Not this time, little one,” he said very gently, wishing it could be otherwise. “It is essential to find the other assassins. I cannot let any danger come near you. You will be safe here. I am not asleep, and I can touch your mind with mine. You can just as easily reach for me if necessary. There is no need for fear.”
“I’m not the stay-at-home-and-be-safe type,” she objected.
He turned, large, powerful, his face an implacable mask. Mikhail looked menacing, invincible. Raven stepped backward involuntarily, her blue eyes darkening to a deep sapphire. Instantly Mikhail took her hand and brought it to the warmth of his mouth.
“Do not look at me like that. Your life was nearly taken from me. Do you have any idea what it was like for me to awaken to your cry? To feel your fear, know that disgusting excuse for a man hit you? To feel the blade slice into your body again and again? You nearly died in my arms. I breathed for you, kept your heart beating. I made a decision I knew you might never forgive me for making. I am not ready to take a chance with your life. Can you possibly understand that?”
She could feel his body trembling with his intense emotion. His arms wrapped around her to drag her even closer to him. “Please, Raven, let me just keep you in a cocoon, at least until I get that sight out of my mind.” His fingers tunneled into the thick mass of blue-black hair. Mikhail molded her slender form to his larger frame, held her close as if he could shelter her from any further harm.
Raven wound her arms around his neck. “It’s all right, Mikhail. Nothing is going to happen to me.” She nuzzled his neck, seeking to reassure him, to push his fear away, as well as her own. “I guess both of us are going to have to make some adjustments.”
His kiss was tender and very gentle. “You need to take it easy. Six days of sleep and healing were not enough.”
“Six days? That’s incredible. Has anyone ever analyzed your blood?”
Mikhail released her reluctantly. “None of us can go near a human medical facility. We take care of our own.”
Raven picked up a brush and idly began to use long strokes to smooth the tangles from her damp mane of hair. “Who was the woman trapped in the ground?”
His face closed down, all traces of gentleness gone as if they had never been. “Her name is Eleanor. She is sister to Byron and lifemate to Vlad. She gave birth to a male.” His tone was devoid of emotion.
She sat cross-legged on the bed, tilting her head sideways as she brushed her long hair. “You don’t like her?”
“She betrayed you. She allowed that devil woman to overhear her, and I nearly lost you.”
He was buttoning his shirt, and the sight of his long, lean fingers performing the simple task fascinated her.
“You were under my protection. What that means, Raven, is that all Carpathians must put your safety above their own.”
Her small teeth tugged at her lower lip. She sensed, beneath his emotionless mask, a relentless, merciless fury directed toward the unknown woman. Mikhail’s feelings for her were ferociously intense and unfamiliar to him. Just as Raven was having difficulty adjusting, so was he. Somehow that made it easier for her to try to accept what was happening.
She chose her words carefully. “Have you ever seen a woman give birth, Mikhail? It is painful and frightening. For the woman to be in control, she needs a safe environment. She feared for the life of her unborn child. Please don’t judge her so harshly. In her circumstances I would have been hysterical.”
He cupped her face in his large palm, his thumb caressing her soft, satin skin. “You have such compassion in you. Eleanor nearly cost you your life.”
“No, Mikhail. Jacob nearly cost me my life. Eleanor tried as hard as she could. There is no blame, or all of us must share in it.”
He turned away from her. “I know I should have kept you by my side. I should never have sought the refuge of the earth’s healing powers. It took me too far from you. Gregori thinks only of my protection.”
In the mirror, Raven could see pain etched clearly on his face.
“There was a moment, sivamet—my love—when I awoke to your cry, and I was encased in the soil and powerless to help you. Only my fury fed the storm. As I clawed my way to the surface, I felt every slice of the blade, and I knew I had failed you. In that moment, Raven, I faced something so terrible, so savage and monstrous in me, I still cannot examine it too closely. If he had slain you, no one would have been safe. No one.” He made the admission in a tight, controlled voice, his back rigid. “Not Carpathian, not human. I can only pray that if such a thing should ever happen again, Gregori will slay me immediately.”
Raven stepped in front of him and framed his face with her hands. “Sometimes grief brings things out in people better left hidden. No one is perfect. Not me, not Eleanor, and not even you.”
A faint, self-mocking smile touched his well-cut mouth. “I have lived centuries and endured vampire hunts, wars, and betrayals. Until you came into my life, I have never lost control. I never had anything I wanted so much. I never had anything to lose.”
She pulled his head down to her and pressed little healing kisses to his throat, to his strong jaw, to the hard corners of his mouth. “You are a good man, Mikhail.” She grinned impishly, her blue eyes teasing. “You just have too much power for your own good. But don’t worry, I know this American girl. She’s very disrespectful, and she’ll take all that arrogant starch out of you.”
His answering laughter was slow in coming, but with it the terrible tension drained out of him. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off her feet, swinging her around, crushing her to him. As always, her heart jumped wildly. His mouth fastened on hers as he whirled them across the room to land on the bed.
Raven’s laughter was soft and taunting. “We can’t possibly again.”
His body was settling over hers, his knee nudging her thighs apart so he could press against her soft, welcoming body. “I think you should just stay naked and waiting for me,” he growled, stroking her to ensure her readiness.
She lifted her hips invitingly. “I’m not sure we’ll know how to do this in a bed.” The last word was a gasp of pleasure as he joined their bodies.
His mouth found hers again, laughter mingling with the sweet taste of passion. His hands shaped her breasts possessively and then tunneled in her hair. There was so much joy in her heart, in her mind, so much compassion and sweetness. His eternity would be filled with her laughter and her zest for life. He laughed aloud for the sheer joy of it.
Thirteen
Mikhail had been gone for two long hours. Raven wandered around the house, familiarizing herself with the rooms. She liked her solitude and was grateful for the time to try to sort things out logically. As hard as she tried, she could not make what she had become seem real to her. Only Mikhail was sanity. He was on her mind continually, invading her thoughts, pushing out everything insane until there was only him.
His blood was in her veins, his scent on her body, his mark at her throat and breast. The feel of his possession was in every step, every movement of her body. Raven wrapped his shirt closer. She knew he was alive and well because he had touched her mind often, sending warm reassurance. She found she welcomed the brushing touch, craved it, was aware that he shared the same deep need to merge often with her.
With a sigh she enveloped herself in his long, warm cape. All at once the house was too stifling, like a prison instead of a home. The long wraparound porch beckoned to her; the night seemed to call her name. She caught at the doorknob, twisted. The knob turned easily enough, but the door remained closed, as if an unseen force pushed from the other side. For a moment panic welled up. The feeling of being trapped was overwhelming.
Raven? Do you need me?
Mikhail was instantly there in her mind, his voice gentle and loving. Just the sound of his voice calmed her. Did you lock me in?
Not really, I locked everyone else out to protect you.
You have to open the door now.
I will b
e home soon.
Raven abruptly threw up shields in her mind while she considered possibilities. There was arrogance in his voice, that smug superior tone that told her he was not only a prince, but of a powerful species, while she had been human. She couldn’t possibly oppose him. She tapped her fingers on the table. He was going to get a much-needed lesson in good old-fashioned human ingenuity.
Scanning the door, she tested the strength of his safeguards. Clearly fashioned to keep intruders out, his spell was not designed to withstand an assault from within.
Raven. What are you up to? Mikhail pushed suspiciously at her mind.
She concentrated on book titles in his vast library. Looking for reading material.
She unlocked a window and raised it to allow the cool night into the beautiful old stone house. She really did like his house, even though right now it was imperative that she show him she was not going to be a puppet for him to command. He was so certain a mere woman, an ex-human at that, couldn’t possibly outwit Mikhail Dubrinsky. Not that she was going anywhere, just walking around outside to prove a point—after all, she wasn’t stupid. If there were still assassins in the area, she wanted no part of them.
Raven rummaged through drawers and under sinks until she came up with a can of talcum powder. She was amazed at the elaborate lengths he had gone to in order to appear human—and it worked. Had she been snooping through his home to find evidence that he was another species, his home would have convinced her that he was a wealthy businessman.
Dumping the powder into her hands, she flung it out into the night. It drifted down like a fine mist. The invisible force field shimmered into solid blocks. There were two narrow gaps and a few thinner streaks. Without hesitation, Raven climbed up to the windowsill and slipped out. She had to push strongly into the gaps, and force her body through the narrow breaks. She was glad she was small. It was difficult, but she succeeded.
Triumph swept through her. She needed victories. She needed to feel as if she were strong again, not helpless and fragile. She was in an unfamiliar world, one that slightly appalled her, and she desperately needed to feel as if she had some control over her life.
It was a measure of Mikhail’s power that locks designed to keep intruders out were still very difficult to penetrate from the inside, but she’d done it, and that gave her back some of the confidence she so desperately needed in herself.
Wrapping her cloak closer, Raven stayed near the house, turning back to climb the steps of the veranda. At once the night air rushed over her, cooling and filled with intriguing scents. She wandered around the large wraparound porch, leaned against a tall column, and inhaled deeply, drawing the night into her lungs.
She’d never noticed how truly beautiful the night could be, how the stars glittered overhead and the wind shifted through the trees, turning leaves until they shone bright silver. The night whispered and sang, beckoning her into deep forest. Without conscious thought she stepped off the porch and began to wander along the path.
An owl hissed softly across the sky, and a trio of deer stepped warily from cover to dip velvet muzzles in the cold stream. Raven felt their joy in living, their acceptance of their daily life-and-death struggle. She could hear the sap in the trees thrumming like the ebb and flow of the tide. Her bare feet seemed to find soft ground, avoiding twigs and thorns and sharp rocks. The rush of the water, the sound of the wind, the very heartbeat of the earth, called to her.
Entranced, Raven wandered aimlessly, enfolded in Mikhail’s long black cape, her hair falling past her hips in a thick cascade of blue-black silk. She looked ethereal, her pale skin almost translucent in the moonlight, her large eyes so dark blue that they were purple. The cape parted occasionally to reveal an intriguing glimpse of bare, shapely leg. She saw none of that, only the beauty of the night and the peace settling deep into her mind.
She dipped her hand into a small stream as the water ran like a silver ribbon over the rocks. She touched a velvet leaf on a shrub and watched as a mouse scurried out of harm’s way, ducking into the roots of a berry bush. Everything seemed dazzling, more vivid. She saw things she’d never really noticed before. The earth called to her, a symphony of sounds, the music the wind in the trees. She felt as if she had truly opened her eyes to the beauty of nature.
Something rippled in her mind, disturbing the tranquil beauty of the night. Grief. Tears. Raven halted, blinked rapidly, tried to determine her surroundings. She had wandered as if she were in a beautiful dream. She turned in the direction of the intense emotion. Without conscious thought, her feet began to move forward. Her mind automatically processed information.
A human male. Early twenties. His genuine grief ran deep. There was anger toward his father, confusion, and guilt that he had arrived too late. Something deep in Raven responded to his overwhelming need. The man was huddled against a broad tree trunk, down low near the timberline. His knees were drawn up, his face buried in his hands.
Raven deliberately made a sound as she approached. The man lifted a tear-streaked face, his eyes wide with shock as he spotted her. He began to scramble to his feet.
“Please don’t get up,” Raven said quietly, her voice as soft as the night itself. Compassion welled up, her eyes shadowed with it. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. I couldn’t sleep and was out walking. Would you prefer me to leave?”
Rudy Romanov found himself staring in awe at a dream figure that seemed to materialize out of the mist. She was like no one he had ever seen before, as shrouded in mystery as the dark forest itself. Words caught in his throat. Had his grief conjured her up? He could almost believe the ridiculous, superstitious tales his father had fed to them all throughout his life—tales of vampires and women of the darkness, sirens luring men to their doom.
Raven turned to leave. The man was staring at her as if she were a ghost—as if she were making him uncomfortable—or afraid. “I’m so sorry,” she murmured gently.
“No! Don’t go.” His English was heavily accented. “For a minute, coming out of the mist like that, you hardly looked real.”
Aware that she had little on beneath the long cape, Raven drew it closer around her. “Are you all right? Can I call someone for you? The priest, perhaps? Your family?”
“There is no one, not anymore. I’m Rudy Romanov. You must have heard the news about my parents.”
An unholy vision burst in her head. She saw wolves boiling from the forest, red eyes gleaming fiercely, a huge black wolf leading the pack and bearing straight down on Hans Romanov. From the young man’s head, she picked up the memory of his mother, Heidi, lying on her bed, her husband’s fingers around her throat. For one awful moment she couldn’t breathe. What this man had suffered! Both parents taken from him in a matter of hours. His fanatical father had murdered his mother.
“I’ve been ill with the flu; this is my first time out in days.” She moved closer to him beneath the outstretched limbs of the trees. She couldn’t very well tell him the truth—that she had been involved in the entire horrendous affair.
To Rudy, she seemed a beautiful angel sent to console him. Rudy longed to touch her skin to see if it was really as soft as it appeared in the moonlight. Her voice was a gentle whisper, sexy, soothing, reaching into his mind to calm and heal.
He cleared his throat. “My father murdered my mother a couple of nights ago. If only I had come home sooner. My mother called me, hysterical I thought, telling me some nonsense about him murdering a woman. He had delusions of vampires preying on people in the village. My father had always been superstitious, but I never thought he would go completely crazy. Mother said he and a group of fanatics were hunting vampires and marking prominent members of the community for murder. I thought my father was just talking big, like he always did.”
Raven stifled a gasp and shook her head, sorrow for this man welling up.
Rudy glanced down at his hands. “I should have listened to my mother, but she admitted that no one else seemed to know of the murder. I assumed he�
�d lied about killing a woman, that it wasn’t the truth. Hell, maybe it wasn’t, but he was nuts. He strangled my mother. She died with her rosary in her hands.”
Rudy wiped his eyes with trembling fingers. Somehow, he had no idea how, his mystery lady was in his mind, providing warmth and understanding as if she were holding him in her arms to comfort him. The illusion was so real his body stirred to life, and he became acutely aware that they were very much alone. Unbidden, the thought came to him that no one knew she was with him. The thought was disturbingly exciting in the midst of his grief. He tried to crush it down, the way he had in the past when disturbing ideas entered his head. All along he’d feared he was like his father—a man who believed and acted on the abhorrent images in his mind.
“I stayed one more day at the university to take a test I thought was really important. I didn’t really believe my father would kill someone, least of all a mother of a newborn baby. My mother was a midwife. She brought so many lives into the world, helped so many people. I told her I was on my way home, and I’d take care of things. She wanted to go to the priest, but I talked her out of it.”
“I wish I had known her,” Raven said sincerely.
“You would have liked her. Everyone liked her, with the exception of my father. He thought she was stupid.” He looked up at her. “He thought I was stupid, even though I was attending the university. She must have tried to stop my father. The night of the storm, he went out with a group of outsiders. That’s when he must have killed my mother, right before he left the house. He probably was making certain she didn’t tell anyone or try to stop him. He was caught under a tree that was hit by lightning. He and the others were burned beyond recognition.”
“How terrible for you.” Raven swept a hand through her hair, a slow tunneling of her fingers through the heavy fall of silk, pushing it away from her face.
Rudy’s breath caught in his throat at the sight. Sexy. Innocent. A potent combination. He could have her. No one would know. He shook his head to try to rid himself of the sneaking, insidious thought.