Her heart jumped wildly. There was no sleeping chamber here with a cozy bed. She knew he would bury them both deep within the earth and make no apologies. The idea was unsettling even as tired as she was. “I’m very different from other Carpathian women, aren’t I?” She sounded sad. It bothered her that she couldn’t readily adjust to all the necessities of her new life.
He found her mouth with his, his tongue dancing with hers, searching, probing deeply, loving her, reassuring her. His eyes were glittering possessively as he lifted his head. “You are different in a lot of ways, angel, but not in the ways you think. Our women would never hunt the vampire, with their lifemates as you wish to do. Hunting the vampire is more than a wish to you. If it were only that, I would have denied you the opportunity. It is a need, a part of your personality, your nature. I can only accept you as you are, not as I would have you be, quiet and secure within my safeguards. That is the only difference that in any way calls for me to compromise.”
She shook her head in denial, then nuzzled his chest, her eyelids drooping. “I’m a cop. I’ve always been a cop. It’s who I am.”
“You are my lifemate, not a cop. When we hunt, we hunt together, but you will follow my lead.” He made it more than a statement; it was a command, an order. He said it with centuries of authority in his voice.
Jaxon leaned against him, pressing her petite body into the sheer masculine strength of his. If he wanted to give her orders, it didn’t really matter. She would never go out hunting vampires without him. The idea was terrifying. She had led her share of men because she was brilliant at what she did. But she could concede leadership in the hunt for vampires to Lucian. He had been battling the undead for centuries and was a master at it. “All right, Lucian, just get it over with. Let’s go to sleep before I fall over.”
Lucian found her mouth again tenderly. “You will be safe, my love.”
“I know I will,” she murmured, her mouth against his neck, her long lashes sweeping down. “I just don’t want to know the details. I’m finding some things are best left alone.”
“You are safe within my care,” he repeated, wanting her to believe. And she would always be safe. He cherished her. His every thought was of her. He would have done anything to make her transition easier, but he also wanted it to be at her pace. He bent his head to hers slowly, his smoldering gaze on her soft mouth. He ached for her. Even with the sun rising higher and higher and his body turning to a leaden weight, he still ached for her. He kissed her gently, leisurely, as if he had all the time in the world to savor her.
Jaxon relaxed against him, giving herself up to the wonder and magic of his mouth. It was the last thing she remembered, the last thing she took with her into her sleep. Sleep well, angel. Take me with you deep into your dreams. You will not awaken until I command you. You will have no fear of the earth and its welcoming arms.
Lucian’s mouth captured her last breath as she succumbed to his demand that she sleep. His gut clenched hotly, every muscle in his body taut all over again. She was so beautiful, so perfect. He would never get used to the idea that she put his desires, his safety, and his happiness before her own. She watched out for him, worried about him, needed him. A soft groan escaped. She thought only good of him; she didn’t have the sense to be afraid. It didn’t occur to her that he would be capable of mass destruction should anything ever threaten her. She trusted him implicitly. She had complete faith in him. She had no idea what that did for him. For centuries, the very people he had dedicated his life to protecting had feared him. Jaxon had every reason to be afraid of him, of the changes he had forced on her, yet she gave him her trust, and this filled him with humility.