She cried out, her head thrown back, her body arching into his as his teeth pierced her breast. Tears came to her eyes as she cradled him to her. He was unbearably gentle, holding her with love and tenderness, as if she were the most precious treasure in the world. She could feel her strength waning even as his grew. She could feel it in his mind first, then in the beating of his heart, in the ripple of power in his muscles and sinews. It was an incredible feeling to provide Aidan with such strength and purpose. Her entire body clenched and protested when his tongue lapped across the wound in a rough caress, closing the link between them.
He dragged her into the circle of his arms. “That is enough, cara.” His hands stroked her hair. “I must go now. I am counting on you to soothe Stefan and Marie. Stefan always blames himself when he cannot stop whatever a vampire sends against us.”
“I have to go with you.” She clutched his arm. “It’s me the vampire wants. How do I find him? Tell me what to do, Aidan. I’ll do anything to get Joshua back, anything at all.” There were tears shining in her eyes, but her chin was up courageously. The nightmare had caught up with her all over again. Little Joshua in the hands of a cold-blooded vampire.
“I will get him back,” Aidan quietly assured her.
“No, I won’t take chances with either of you. He wants me. I’ll go myself. See if he’ll exchange Joshua for me,” she said desperately. “This isn’t your fault any more than it is Stefan’s. This isn’t your responsibility. I will go to him.”
Aidan looked down at her then, his face cold. “I will not allow you to take such a risk. This is my fight,” he vowed.
“How can you say that? Joshua is all I have. He’s my brother, my only family. I have every right to defend him.”
He brushed back her hair, his hand gentle. “Joshua is also my brother, my family. You are my lifemate. There is no question, cara mia, who will take care of this problem. You will stay here in this house and do as I say. I will not argue with you about this.”
His voice, black velvet and tender, could turn her heart over, but she would not be seduced this time. Alexandria tilted her chin. “No, Aidan, I’m going with you. If you can save only one of us, it will be Joshua.”
His eyes caressed her even as he shook his head. “You will give me your word that you will do as I say, or I will send you to sleep until I return. And if you are sleeping the sleep of the immortal, you will be unable to aid me should I have need of it. I must go now. I am wasting valuable time, time Gregori earned for me at great cost to his own strength, I am certain.” His mouth brushed hers. “What shall it be? Do you sleep while I go? Or will you remain here awake to aid me should it become necessary?”
Alexandria shifted away from him but nodded her compliance. “It isn’t as if you’re leaving me a lot of choice, Aidan,” she said softly. “Go then. But nothing had better happen to you, or you’ll see what a human woman can do when she’s good and mad.”
“Former human woman,” he corrected.
And he was gone. Just like that. One moment he was solid and real, the next he was a rainbow of light streaking through the narrow tunnel of rock upward toward the fog-shrouded sky.
Alexandria sat for a long time, her hands folded in her lap. Aidan would be all right. He would have to be. And he would bring Joshua home to her. She believed it because she had to believe it. When she tried to get to her feet, she found herself shaky, her legs weak. It took determination to find and pull on her jeans. It was difficult to believe that just last night Aidan was making love to her, and now he was out fighting a monster.