Dark Challenge. Christine Feehan. Dark Series – book 5

Julian shook his head slowly, discarding the idea. No Carpathian lived unknown to the others of his kind. And certainly no Carpathian female could do so. Since the decimation of their ranks, the females were closely guarded, given from the father into the care of the lifemate at an early age to ensure the continuance of their race. Otherwise every unattached Carpathian male around the world would be following her, pressing his suit. And Mikhail would have her under the mantle of his protection.

Julian put the puzzle aside for the time being. He closed his eyes and concentrated on reaching Desari. Dara. Ordinarily, a blood exchange was needed to keep track of another, but Julian had studied and experimented for many years. He could do incredible things, even for one of his kind. He built the image of Desari in his mind, focusing on every detail.

Then he aimed and thrust his will into the night. Seeking. Drawing. Commanding. Come to me, cara mia, come to me. You are mine. No one else will ever do for you. You want me with you. You need me. Feel the emptiness without me.

Julian was implacable in his pursuit. He ruthlessly applied more pressure. Find me. Know that you are mine. You cannot bear another’s touch, cara mia. You need me with you to fill the terrible emptiness. You are no longer happy and content without me. You must find me.

He sent the imperious command, his entire focus bent on finding her mental channel. He did not stop until he was certain he had connected with her, that his words had penetrated any barriers separating them and found their way to her soul.

* * *

Chapter Two

The police were everywhere. Desari carefully sat up, dizzy and sick. She felt strange, different, as if something inside her had changed for all time. There was an odd, yawning emptiness, a void that had to be filled. Her brother and bodyguard, Darius, had his arm around her. He examined every inch of her with his ice cold black eyes. There was blood staining her dress, and her insides ached.

“They shot me.” She made it a statement.

“I do not know how I failed to detect the danger to you in time.” Darius looked gray and drained.

Desari stroked his strong jaw. “You need to feed, brother. You have given me too much blood.”

Darius shook his head, then glanced surreptitiously toward the police. “I gave to Barack and Dayan. They were hit also. Six mortals, Desari, all wanted to kill you.”

“Barack and Dayan? Are they all right?” she demanded quickly, worry in her soft, dark eyes. She looked around frantically for the other two members of the band. She had been raised with the two men and loved them nearly as much as her own brother.

He nodded. “I have sent them to ground. They will heal more quickly. I had little time for proper mending, but I did my best for them. The police were pouring into the bar. I made certain they could not see us. We have trouble though. It was not me who gave you blood. It was another. He was strong and powerful.”

Alarmed, Desari stared up at her brother. “Someone else gave me blood? You are certain? There is no mistake?”

Darius shook his head. “I would not have reached you in time. You were already unconscious. You did not have time to shut down your heart and lungs as the others did, so you bled profusely. I examined you afterward, Desari. You would have died of your wounds. He saved your life.”

She dragged up her knees and burrowed closer to him. “His blood is in me?” She sounded lost and forlorn, frightened.

Darius swore eloquently. For centuries he had looked after his family. Desari, Syndil, Barack, Dayan, and Savon. The only others similar to their kind they had ever encountered had been the undead, the evil ones. This creature had slipped past him as a strange, cold wind that had pushed its way through the bar. Darius had been uneasy, worried; he had felt the presence of another, yet he had not caught the stench of evil. The undead. Vampire. He should have acted, he had been sidetracked by the vicious mortals emerging from the crowd.