Nicolae took his time, making a thorough job of kissing her. His body was hard and painfully full. The demon roared for release, roared to continue the ritual, to claim her fully, make her irrevocably his. His fangs threatened to lengthen, wanting to taste her blood, wanting a true exchange as it was meant to be. His heart and soul sang with complete joy.
Nicolae. There was a faint ache in her voice, betraying her own deep needs and cravings. He felt her strength ebbing.
“You need to go to ground. Once more, Destiny, take my blood.” He murmured the words against her lips.
You are weak. It was a faint protest, but her mouth left his and traveled along his neck to his throat. His entire body clenched as her teeth teased the spot over his pulse. Will you have time to hunt before you go to ground?
I will feed. The anticipation strained his muscles till they were rock hard, defined clearly beneath his thin shirt. His breath slammed out of his lungs as her fangs sank deep. White-hot erotic pleasure. He closed his eyes and let it happen. Fire spread through his blood straight to his heavy erection. The heat threatened to be his undoing. He shuddered with the effort to maintain control.
Destiny was careful to take only enough to sustain her through recovery. Her tongue swirled over the tiny pinpricks, lingered for a moment before she lifted her head. She was all too aware of his discomfort, the terrible need gripping him. She gave him the only thing she had to give. Put me in the earth and set the safeguards, please, Nicolae. I am very tired.
Nicolae went very still. He had been certain he would have to force her compliance, but she surprised him. He didn’t make the mistake of allowing her to think too long about her request. He seized control immediately and sent her to sleep.
Nicolae held her for a long time, staring down at her face. She looked young and vulnerable, an angel with features that were far too seductive for his peace of mind. Or for the peace of his body. He felt humbled by her trust. He had never supposed she would trust him enough to sleep in the same chamber with him, no matter how severely injured she was. He sighed softy and lowered her into the rich bed of soil. Destiny. His world. She lay so still, her breath stilled in her lungs. His hands lingered on her as he surveyed her injuries.
The air in the chamber stirred gently and he whirled around swiftly, a dark, dangerous predator, menace in every line of his body. His eyes flashed a hot reprimand at his brother. “You did not warn me.”
“It is good for you. You have spent so much time sharing her head, I think it best to test your skills now and then.”
Nicolae relaxed slightly. “Very funny. Your sense of humor has warped over the centuries.”
“I did not know I had a sense of humor.” Vikirnoff studied the lines of strain in his brother’s face. “You are arrogant and you do not even realize it. You do not even seek to hide her resting place from me.”
“I trust you.”
“You do not trust me with her life, Nicolae. I am in your head just as you are in mine. You know how strong you are; you believe I am not a threat to you because you know you can protect her.”
Nicolae raked a hand through the black silk of his hair, leaving it more disheveled than ever. “I believe in you, Vikirnoff.”
Vikirnoff shook his head. “You believe in yourself. She has no idea how dangerous you are. How strong you are. After you connected with her you shouldered part of her physical pain, lessened her emotional pain, all the while going from continent to continent hunting for her. You battled the undead where you found them and avoided all contact with our people as Vladimer requested. You went on her hunts with her, helping orchestrate them, feeding her your own strength and power from great distances and shielding her from that knowledge. I know of no other Carpathian who has accomplished such a feat. Why do you hide your strength from her? And why do you allow this?” His hands gestured toward the bed of soil where Destiny lay, bruised and torn. “Why do you not forbid this behavior and simply put an end to your suffering? You are a Carpathian male. This is hell for you.”